What is the Farnham Town Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)?
The Farnham Town LCWIP is a 10+ year investment plan for walking and cycling in the town. It identifies where we want to prioritise investment and sets out some initial options and ideas for improving walking and cycling across the town.
LCWIPs are the best practice approach nationally for planning walking and cycling improvements. Our process follows . To find out more about LCWIPs, including what they are and the process that we have followed to develop them for the county, please see our plans to improve cycling and walking page.
The Farnham LCWIP focuses on strategic network connections and aims to create a wider walking and cycling network for the town. Local neighbourhood and street level interventions are not included within the LCWIP. These will be part of separate workstreams that aim to improve walking and cycling provision at smaller scales. For example, we aim to develop 'Local Street Improvements' schemes to increase the comfort, safety and accessibility of walking and cycling on residential roads by recognising the importance of these streets as places for people, and not just their importance for the movement of vehicles. 'Local Street Improvements' will create attractive local environments that connect residents to the wider LCWIP network and make walking and cycling easier, safer, more enjoyable, convenient and fun for everyone. To find out more about our plans for walking and cycling at the street and neighbourhood scale, please see our Local Transport Plan policies for Planning for Place and for Active Travel and Personal Mobility.
If you would like to view the Farnham LCWIP report in full, please email surreytransportplan@surreycc.gov.uk to request a copy.
Executive summary
The Farnham LCWIP's key proposals are cycling and walking routes, which together create a walking and cycling network for the town.
All cycling and walking routes identified in this LCWIP have been designated as either primary, secondary and tertiary. This helps to prioritise investment over the LCWIP's ten-year lifespan. The primary routes are those that we aim to implement in the short-term, whilst we aim to implement secondary routes over the medium-term, and tertiary routes in the longer term.
Prioritisation of the routes and corridors is based on a number of factors, including:
- Present and future demand for the route, including local stakeholder input, road traffic collision data and projected usage.
- The quality that improvements will deliver compared to the provision that currently exists on the route.
- How the route will contribute to increased access for walking and cycling to key destinations such as schools, doctors' surgeries, hospitals, rail and bus stations, high streets, and parks
The LCWIP has considered the full extent of the town, with an emphasis on key trip attractors and destinations that will encourage and allow more people to take up walking and cycling as their everyday types of travel.
Cycle network
Primary cycle routes
Falkner Road - Long Garden - Castle Street - The Hart
The proposed corridor is an alternative alignment to the West Street / The Borough corridor and provides access to the University for the Creative Arts, Potters Gate Church of England primary school and Farnham Park. The approximate length of the proposed route is 1.2 km.
Weybourne Road - Hale Road
The proposed corridor links the Town Centre to the Heath End residential area, Aldershot and several schools along Weybourne Road. Additionally, the proposed corridor would link to the development at Green Lane, Scholars Greenway, as well as Farnham hospital and Hallows Catholic School, Williams Cobbett Primary School and Heath End School. The approximate length of the proposed route is 3.3 km.
South Street - Brightwell
This corridor provides a direct link between the town centre to the railway station. It also provides network connectivity to Farnham Park, Borelli Walk, and the Brightwells Yard Development for onward links to residential areas north, south and east of the town centre. The approximate length of the proposed route is 1.84 Km.
Secondary and tertiary cycle routes
West Street via Bishops Meadow
Improve cycle access to the town centre from the west travelling through Bishops Meadow. The approximate length of this proposed route is 1.8 km.
Folly Hill - Old Park Lane
The corridor extends along the bridleway parallel to Folly Hill and connects the University of Arts with the residential areas at Upper Hale and the new development via a green area. The approximate length of this proposed route is 2.83km.
Folly Hill
This corridor follows Folly Hill along the western edge of Farnham Park, connecting Upper Hale Road to The Borough/East Street. The corridor connects to Farnham Castle and passes close to Folly Hill Infant School. The approximate length of this proposed route is 2.47km.
West Street
Starting at Coxbridge Roundabout and ending at Bear Lane/South Street, this corridor follows West Street and passes Castle Street (the high street) and Bishop’s Meadow. The approximate length of this proposed route is 1.5km.
Waverley Lane
This corridor follows Waverley Lane, between Station Hill and Monk’s Walk, connecting Farnham Railway Station, St Polycarp’s Primary school, South Farnham School and The Abbey School. The approximate length of this proposed route is 0.8km.
Further plans
Additional engagement with local stakeholders was undertaken following completion of the Farnham LCWIP report. A series of workshops were organised by 中国P站lors during 2023. Cycle and walking routes identified within the LCWIP plan were discussed further with stakeholders to provide an agreed list of schemes ranked in priority order for taking forward through the next stage of scheme design/development.
Further updates and review of the original LCWIP report have been agreed between 中国P站 County, Waverley Borough and Farnham Town councillors that captures more recent developments in the local area. These updates and agreed list of priority routes for taking forward to the next stage scheme design are the subject of the LCWIP report addendum. The addendum builds on the main body LCWIP report to provide a current strategic framework for developing active travel plans for Farnham.
The agreed list of priority LCWIP schemes are shown below. The initial phase of feasibility design and development includes the top four priority routes:
Upper Hale and Weybourne
Includes off-road section from Upper Hale to Hale and Weybourne Road and then Improve walking and cycling on Weybourne Road between Six Bells Roundabout and Weybourne Crossroads; access to three schools with 5,000+ pupils.
Red Lion and Weydon Lane
This route travels along Red Lion Lane and crosses the A31 and the Railway line and then along Weydon Lane.
Off-road route to schools parallel to Hale Reeds
New pedestrian and cycling path to Heath End and William Cobbett Schools off Farnborough Rd and parallel to Hale Reeds.
A325 pedestrian crossing
Upgrade A325 crossing north of Water Lane Roundabout; improvements at Shepherd and Flock Roundabout.
Routes for a later phase
Waverley Lane
20 mph limit on Waverley Lane with safer crossings and better access to the station and Station Hill.
West Street
West Street improvements for walking and cycling.
Upper Hale and Town Centre
Off-road route from Upper Hale to Town Centre using upgraded bridleway.
Weybourne Road and Rushmoor cycleway
Connect Weybourne Road to Rushmoor cycleway, avoiding narrow sections.
Walking network
A Core Walking Zone (CWZ) is an area where a number of walking trip generators, like shops, schools, town centres and business parks, are located close to each other. These are areas where there is high demand for walking because of the trip generators, and a need to improve infrastructure and access for pedestrians.
Primary Core Walking Zones
Railway Station and Farnham College
This CWZ links the town centre to the railway station. It also provides network connectivity to Borelli Walk, and the Brightwells Yard development and access to the college and several schools (St Polycarp’s Primary School, South Farnham School, The Abbey School and South Farnham Infant School).
Upper Hale
Improves pedestrian environment within a high-density area including schools, local shops and provides links to North Farnham residential areas, the town centre, to the University for the Creative Arts (Farnham Campus), Farnham Park, All Hallows Catholic School, William Cobbett Primary School, Heath End School, Hale Nursery Primary Academy and Folly Hill Infants School.
Secondary and tertiary core walking zones
Wrecclesham
Extends south of the A31 and primarily east of Wrecclesham Road. It includes Weydon School and St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, Wrecclesham Recreation Ground, and a medical care facility.
Weybourne
Extends along Weybourne Road and includes All Hallows Catholic School, William Cobbett Primary School, Farnham Heath End School and green areas
Heath End
Comprises of two different zones that do not overlap. It was selected to be linked via Farnborough Road. The zones extend north of Farnham Park covering residential areas with medium levels of population density. They provide access to Farnham Heath End School and William Cobbett Primary School, green areas, and a medical care facility.
Badshot Lea
Extends east of the railway lines at Badshot Lea village. It includes Badshot Lea Village Infant School, a church and links to the development site.
The Pilgrim's Way School and Business Park
Extends west of Firgrove Hill and primarily south of the A31. It includes Highfield South Farnham School, and Farnham Business Park. North of the A31 the CWZ extends within Bishops Meadow.
Rowledge
Located in the southwest suburbs of the town the area includes Rowledge Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, and Rowledge Cricket Club. The footways are narrow and there is frequent on-street parking.
Further plans
In addition to the proposed routes for walking, wheeling and cycling, 中国P站 (SCC), Waverley Borough Council (WBC) and Farnham Town Council (FTC) elected Members along with SCC and WBC officers, proposed amendments to the CWZ network to ensure local centres have been identified as focus areas as part of the LCWIP. The further areas included in the proposed walking network and are:
Farnham Hospital
This covers the area between Six Bells roundabout and Hale Road.
Bourne and Ridgeway
Extending around the local centre along Ridgeway Road.
Lower Bourne
Extending around the local centre on Lodge Hill and the A287.
Rowledge (extension of original zone)
Ensuring the extents cover the eastern approaches to the centre of the zone.
Next steps
The Farnham LCWIP report should be used to support the case for investment in the design, development and delivery of schemes that provide active travel infrastructure improvements for the local area. Feasibility design of the priority schemes identified within the LCWIP plan is the next stage required before schemes and options can be presented to the public allowing residents and other local stakeholders to have their say on the individual scheme proposals.
Funding for the delivery of schemes is not yet fully secured. Funding from sources include Waverley Borough strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contributions will help support future funding bids to the DfT/Active Travel England (ATE) as we prepare for the next stage of LCWIP programme scheme delivery.
Because the LCWIP is intended to facilitate a long-term approach to developing a network of high quality safe active travel infrastructure over a 10+ year period, all of the walking and cycling routes identified within the plan are recommended for further consideration at an appropriate time, subject to available funding. Prioritisation of routes and a phased approach to taking schemes forward through this process of design, development and onto subsequent delivery is necessary.
The LCWIP will be reviewed for updating as required, particularly in response to significant changes in local circumstances such as the publication of new policies or strategies, and when new development sites come forward.
If you wish to view the full Farnham LCWIP report or receive it in a more accessible format, please email surreytransportplan@surreycc.gov.uk and request a copy.