Next steps for creating a new cycle path through Abbey Fields will be discussed again next week.

Warwick District Council's (WDC) cabinet will decide whether to press ahead with the scheme following a public consultation which provided mixed results.

Locals were asked for their views on various designs earlier this year, with over 1,000 responses received.

And while the feedback was split on the path, WDC's cabinet next week will consider moving the project forward.

If councillors decide to proceed, officers will be told to create more detailed designs which would then need to be signed off by the cabinet in March 2026.

Two potential routes are being considered.

The first would be a "single shared path across Abbey Fields with appropriate safety measures included".

The other would see "two destination shared paths that end at the new swimming pool, if sufficient safety measures cannot be designed to allow for a single shared path".

advertisement

"The consultation prompted strong feelings for and against the details of the proposed route," a council report said. 

"The main concerns from opponents of the route focused on the potential conflict between the different users of the park, signage and enforcement, as well as the potential loss of the current ambience of the park and the opposition of cycling in the park in principle."

Designs would also need to find options for access around the controlled barrier from Bridge Street and around the duck feeding station.

New crossings on Bridge Street and Borrowell Lane will also be needed, but will only be installed if the paths are built. These are expected to cost £528,000 with funding to be sought from Warwickshire County Council.

WDC said it would take five months for planning permission to be granted.

It is hoped construction could start in summer 2026, but this depends on whether the new pool is completed or not.

WDC's cabinet will meet on Thursday 16 October.

See the full report here.

advertisement