§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the cycle tracks now available to the public on British Rail land, the cost of each scheme and the distance of each; and which other railway tracks are being considered for cycling provisions.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe consultant responsible for our study of disused railways tells us that, in England, 36 conversions totalling 180 miles are now open to the public, that work is currently under way on 25 conversions totalling 83 miles, and that a further 67 conversions totalling 270 miles are being considered. Details of cost are not readily available, but other information about the conversions open to the public is as follows:
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Local Authority Conversion Length (Miles) Avon Bitton to Bath 5 Staple Hill to Bitton 4 Buckinghamshire Wolverton to Newport Pagnell 1 Cheshire Whitegate Way 7
Local Authority Conversion Length (Miles) Cornwall Wadebridge to Padstow 6 Cumbria Cumbria Cycleway 2 Derbyshire Tissington Trail 12 High Peak Trail 16 Devon Barnstaple to Braunton 4 Durham Derwent Way 7 Brandon to Bishop Auckland 9 Deemess Walkway 7 Waskerley Way 9 Lancaster Valley 5 East Sussex East Grinstead to Groombridge 10 Greater Manchester Whitworth Road 1 Altwood 1 Monton Green Walkway 1 Hertfordshire Cole Green Way 4 Ayot Green Way 4 St. Albans to Hatfield 2 Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead 1 Kent Whitstable 1 Leicestershire Great Central Railway 1 Lincolnshire Spa Trail 3 Norfolk Hellesdon to Attlebridge 4 Aysham to Stalham 10 North Yorkshire Scarborough to High Hawsker 19 Oxfordshire Banbury Mineral Railway 1 Cycle Track Staffordshire Manifold Trail 8 Tyne and Wear Newburn Cycleway 1 West Midlands West Bromwich Parkway 3 Kingswinford Branch 3 Dudley to Priestfield 1 West Sussex Worthway 5 Wiltshire Swindon Old Town to Toothill 2
§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of cycle tracks are now available in London and Greater London; and what plans there are for extending cycle provisions through and around the London and Greater London parks.
§ Mrs. ChalkerLengths of cycle track have been provided in the past alongside a number of trunk roads in London, but only a few miles are reserved exclusively for use by cyclists. The needs of cyclists are now considered during the preparation of all new trunk road schemes.
Provision of other cycle schemes in London is the responsibility of the Greater London council and the London boroughs, and details are not available in the Department. However, we are funding innovaative elements of the GLC's ambassador route at Albert gate and Albion gate.