Pedestrian crossing to Kenilworth Castle 'top priority' as council chooses preferred location
Installing a pedestrian crossing is a "no brainer" and has been backed by a large amount of community support.
That was the feedback from a four-week public consultation launched by Kenilworth Town Council at the start of the year as it asked residents their views on installing a puffin crossing somewhere along Castle Road.
The council said there was an "overwhelming response" to the survey, which had among the most responses of any consultation it had run before.
As well as asking residents whether they wanted a pedestrian crossing, feedback was also sought on three potential crossing points.
- Option A: Crossing at Castle Green from near the Queen & Castle to near the car park
- Option B: Crossing at the Ford across to the Castle grounds
- Option C: Crossing at or near the current vehicular entrance to the Castle
"I want to say thank you to all the people who sent in their comments and participated online and on paper," Cllr Zoe Leventhal said at the most recent town council meeting.
She added: "The outcome of the survey was a no brainer - we obviously need a crossing in one of these locations as soon as possible.
"There were differing views on where and there was support for all three."
A crossing by the vehicular access to the castle received the most support from locals.
However, the council's task and finish group has found a crossing near the ford is the "best compromise" in terms of "feasibility and deliverability".
As such, the council will now make installing a crossing at option B a "high priority" with hopes there will be a possibility for another crossing further down the line.
Option B would also see new paths created to the castle, which would be organised by English Heritage.
The crossing is expected to cost around £80,000 - exact details of the financing for the project are yet to be determined.
Next steps will see the council consult with English Heritage and Warwickshire County Council.
The crossing was included in the 2018 neighbourhood plan for Kenilworth.
The full survey results can be found here.
Share:
