B2259 Felpham Way to Wroxham Way

Proposed cycling and walking improvements

West Sussex Country Council is proposing to upgrade the Felpham Way Footpath to a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians.

The proposals would provide a safer route between B2259 Felpham Way and Wroxham Way, providing improved access to Felpham Community College and Downview Primary School. By encouraging more walking and cycling journeys, the proposals would help reduce congestion on our roads and contribute towards the delivery of a connected cycle link between South Downs National Park and Bognor Regis.

We are seeking your feedback on the proposed improvements. The consultation is open until 11:59 on 10 April 2022. We will use your feedback to help inform the next steps for the scheme.

Find out more about the proposals below and then complete the survey (opens in new window).

About the proposals

The overarching aim of the scheme is to provide a safe, accessible cycle and pedestrian shared path between B2259 Felpham Way and Wroxham Way.

The scheme objectives are:

• Improve access to Felpham Community College and Downview Primary School for pupils, their families and members of staff
• Contribute towards the delivery of a cycle network across the town, connecting with existing cycle infrastructure
• Help reduce congestion and pollution on existing roads by reducing vehicle trips and encouraging more people to travel by bicycle.

Improved B2259 crossing

The southern section of the scheme would see upgrades to the crossing on B2259 Felpham Way, at the top of the existing footpath opposite Steepers Close. A new Toucan Crossing would provide a safe route onto the Felpham Way shared path for pedestrians and cyclists travelling along the existing cycle track and footpath on the B2259, as well as the footpath located to the south of the crossing between Felpham Way and Felpham Road.

The scheme proposes to:

• Upgrade the existing Pelican Crossing to a Toucan Crossing with a new layout to enable cyclists and pedestrians to cross the B2259 in one stage with a central refuge for added protection
• Incorporate new traffic light signals and push button controls at the new Toucan Crossing for pedestrians and cyclists
• Introduce red blister paving and coloured paving at the crossing and on the existing B2259 cycle track and footpath to clearly identify the new crossing
• Implement new “shared use path” signs at the meeting between Drygrounds Lane and the crossing.
  

Felpham Way Footpath

The existing Felpham Way Footpath runs offroad from Wroxham Way to Drygrounds Lane and is currently a narrow, unlit, pedestrian route.

The proposals include:

• Widening of the existing footpath and converting it into a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians. This would be achieved through a combination of taking a small parcel of land from the eastern edge of the Felpham Community College and Downview Primary School playing fields, as well as using some of the existing grass verges and vegetation areas on the pathway. Widening the footpath would require the trimming and removal of a number of existing trees mainly situated on school grounds, with these to be replaced where practicable.
• Measures at the Drygrounds Lane bend and the Goodwood Avenue junction to encourage cyclists to slow down and proceed with caution
• Improvements at the entrance of Downview Primary, including additional cycle parking
• The existing boundary fence between the pathway and playing fields would be removed and replaced with a new 3m high wire fence*
• New lighting columns to improve safety for those using the pathway, while minimising the impact on neighbouring properties

Please refer to the consultation maps for a detailed overview of the proposals. The technical drawings are also available from the document links on the right-hand side of the page.

The proposals have been designed in accordance with national design guidance for cycling, including the Local Transport Note 1/20 (opens in new window), which provides advice on delivering high quality cycle infrastructure. The impact of the scheme on all footpath and road users has been considered. The proposal would ensure that needs of all users are met, whilst facilitating safer and easier journeys for cyclists and pedestrians.

*This text was updated on 09 March 2023. It originally stated that the proposed new boundary fence between the pathway and playing fields would be 5m high. This was an error and the text has been amended to show the correct fence height of 3m.

Background to the proposals

The Felpham Way shared path proposals provides a strategic route between B2259 Felpham Way and Wroxham Way, as well as an improved crossing over the B2259 Felpham Way. The scheme would contribute to connecting the active travel paths across the district.

West Sussex County Council adopted its West Sussex Transport Plan 2022-2036 (opens in new window) in April 2022. The plan sets out how the council intends to address key challenges to improving, maintaining and managing the transport network during the plan period. Within the plan, West Sussex County Council recognises the huge potential to substantially raise the standard of cycling infrastructure across the county.

The West Sussex Walking Cycling Strategy (opens in new window) has been developed parallel to the Transport Plan and sets out the Council’s ambitions to create a network of high-quality routes. The scheme has been designed to help improve walking and cycling in Felpham and is in line with the objectives set out in the West Sussex Transport Plan 2011-2026 and the West Sussex Walking and Cycling Strategy 2016-2026.

Next steps

Depending on the outcome of this consultation period, WSCC hopes to make an application to the Department of Education to gain consent for the use of playing field land under Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 later in summer 2023.

After careful analysis of the feedback we receive during the current consultation period, the scheme designs will be reviewed and updated. Subject to that feedback, we hope to carry out the Statutory Consultation for the upgraded Toucan Crossing on B2259 Felpham Way in summer 2023.

Scheme construction is dependent on the successful outcome of this consultation period, as well as gaining consent for the use of playing field land and gaining approval through the Statutory Consultation for the Toucan Crossing. Therefore, the dates for scheme procurement and construction are yet to be confirmed, but it is hoped that procurement would follow later in 2023, with construction taking place in 2024. This is subject to Department for Transport funding remaining available.