Accessibility

1. Most of the parish of Tasley is farmland with a good network of public footpaths (see Map 2 below). There are no cycle paths but some of the footpaths connect to bridleways outside the neighbourhood plan area (cycling is usually permitted on public bridleways).  Some of these footpaths cross the proposed development site of the Tasley Garden Village and others link to existing and new residential areas. 

2. Footpaths can support healthy lifestyles by encouraging walking for pleasure and active travel. Increasing walking can also help with improving mental health, combating obesity and encouraging a sense of community in the neighbourhood.  The footpaths in the parish allow people to enjoy views of woodland, pastures, arable fields and waterways with all their accompanying flora and fauna. 

3. Although Church Lane is not a footpath and has no pavement, it is very heavily used by walkers and cyclists. For those living in town, Church Lane is the main access route to Tasley Church and Churchyard, Tasley cemetery, Trinity Wood, Brick Kiln Plantation and the Woodlands Fishing Ponds.

4. The purpose of the footpaths and cycle paths policy in TNP is to protect, restore and enhance the existing footpaths in Tasley Parish both in terms of quality and quantity and to encourage the provision of new cycle paths. 

5. NPPF para 96 sets out that 

‘planning policies and decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places which: a) promote social interaction, including opportunities for meetings between people who might not otherwise come into contact with each other – for example through  … street layouts that allow for easy pedestrian and cycle connections within and between neighbourhoods, and active street frontages; b) are safe and accessible, so that crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion – for example through the use of well-designed, clear and legible pedestrian and cycle routes, and high quality public space, which encourage the active and continual use of public areas; and c) enable and support healthy lives, through both promoting good health and preventing ill-health, … – for example through the provision of safe and accessible green infrastructure, sports facilities, local shops, access to healthier food, allotments and layouts that encourage walking and cycling.’ 

6. SLP Policy SP6. Health and Wellbeing sets out that 

‘New development should ensure the health and well-being of individuals, communities and places.’  This will be achieved by, amongst other things, ensuring development proposals ‘7. Promote safe and well-lit high-quality walking and cycling routes, cycle parking, changing facilities and secure lockers in destinations such as places of work, to increase people’s activity rates. Wherever possible, new development should be located within walking distance of open space - to increase people’s quality of life and enable active and healthy lifestyles.’

7. Access to the footpaths is of high importance for parishioners and others living in the wider Bridgnorth area, as shown by the many comments in the 2024 Survey.  In answer to the Question, How often do you use the following facilities in Tasley?, 66 respondents used Church Lane once a week or more and 19 used it monthly, and 54 respondents used public footpaths once a week or more and 26 did so monthly (see Section 3.4.3 of Tasley Neighbourhood Plan Survey Results and Figure 1).

8. Providing improved pedestrian and cycle connectivity from development sites to the wider parish, Bridgnorth and facilities and improving the existing network will help to ensure new communities have good access to recreational opportunities and can make sustainable travel choices, which will improve health and reduce CO2 emissions from transport.

9.  SLP Site allocation Tasley Garden Village, Bridgnorth (BRD030) sets out that

 ‘a suitable number of appropriately designed and constructed pedestrian, cycle and vehicular access points will be provided. Access points from the A458 will be required to complement the proposed roundabout access to the saved SAMDev Plan allocations BRID001/BRID020b, BRID020a, ELR011/a and ELR011b’ and ‘Appropriate pedestrian and cycle links will be provided to and through the site, particularly to the new primary school, local centre and public transport connections. Existing public rights of way will be maintained and the network appropriately expanded.  Significant and effective pedestrian and cycle links will be provided over the A458 to encourage safe and sustainable patterns of movement between the site and the wider town. This will include but not be limited to a raised pedestrian and cyclist footbridge crossing of the A458 at an appropriate location near the Ludlow Road roundabout, subject to ground investigations and available land.’  

However, Tasley Parish Council’s preference is for pedestrian crossings and traffic calming rather than a footbridge in order to slow traffic on the A4538 and support connectivity between the new development and existing residential areas and the countryside.

10. TNP Policy TNP1 - Footpaths and Cycle Paths, together with Policy TNP3 - Green Infrastructure Improvements will together help to ensure walking and cycling are embedded into the early design of new developments and that opportunities are taken to make improvements wherever possible.  

11. Since 2012 Shropshire Council has operated a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) on new market housing development – see https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/planning-policy/community-infrastructure-levy-cil/ .   Once TNP is made (adopted), Tasley Parish Council should be eligible for significant funding from the CIL monies generated which could be used for improving accessibility to walking and cycling in the neighbourhood plan area.

12. TNP Steering Group on behalf of the Parish Council has undertaken detailed field survey work to assess the existing PROW network and to identify where improvements may be made.  The findings are provided in Appendix 1 of TNP and developer contributions and CIL as well as other funding will be sought to help restore and enhance footpaths across the TNP area.  These improvements will further improve opportunities for walking and cycling in Tasley and will complement the policies in TNP.