The Weyside Greenway

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Proposal

To provide a continuous, attractive route for pedestrians, cyclists and people with disabilities that will link the main amenities of Farnham.  Intended for commuter and leisure use, the Greenway would be mainly traffic free and, where roads need to be crossed, would give vulnerable users enhanced priority.

Route

The Weyside Greenway follows the final National Cycle Network 22/23a route from the Shepherd and Flock roundabout in the east, through the Guildford Road Retail Park then follows the line of the River Wey through the town centre.  To the west the route divides with a crossing of the A31 and railway providing link to south west Farnham and another link across the water meadows connecting to West Street.

Benefits

• Avoid and Reduce Traffic Congestion

  Traffic congestion is arguably Farnham's biggest problem and it costs by:
  • deterring visits to the retail/commercial centre for shopping, eating and entertainment;
  • detracting from the town's attractiveness to tourists;
  • wasting fuel.
  As an alternative route to and between the town's main amenities, the Weyside Greenway would displace some of the traffic.  More significantly though, it would allow the people of Farnham to bypass the congestion to reach many of the key destinations in Farnham (see Connecting Facilities below).

• Health

  The Weyside Greenway would provide a 'health corridor', connecting the Hospital and health Centre to many of Farnham's leisure facilities.  The Greenway would itself promote regular walking and cycling, excellent forms of physical activity which can:
  • halve the risk of developing coronary heart disease;
  • reduce the risk of having a stroke;
  • help lower blood pressure and relieve stress;
  • reduce the chance of developing diabetes and help control it if it develops;
  • reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
  (Source: British Heart Foundation, Physical activity and your heart).

• Tourism

  The Weyside Greenway would follow National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 22 through Farnham.  NCN 22 is being built as a sustainable transport corridor from London to Portsmouth, bringing sustainable tourism to the heart of the town.  As well as the business opportunities, the link to NCN 22 would provide the people of Farnham with leisure routes east to Guildford, west to Alton and south west through Alice Holt Forest towards Petersfield.

• Environment

  Travel around the centre of Farnham is rarely an enjoyable experience but by providing a pleasant riverside route and linking facilities like Borelli Walk and Gostrey Meadow, the Weyside Way will give the people of Farnham a better travelling environment.  Journeys via the Greenway will also avoid the production of local air pollution and green house gas emissions.   In addition, those using the Greenway will bypass the worst areas of local air pollution, particularly nitrogen oxides gases.

• Social Inclusion

  As a prosperous part of Surrey, car ownership is high in Farnham and it is easy to assume that everyone has personal motor transport.  They don't.  Those unable to afford a car or unable to drive for medical reasons and young people under 17 are doubly disadvantaged: first by not having use of a car and second because the congested roads around Farnham have chopped up the car free network of paths and bridleways into isolated sections.  For example, wheelchair and mobility scooter access to Gostrey Meadow from the Wagon Yard and from Gostrey Meadow to Borelli Walk is hindered by curbs at road crossings and also steps.

Connecting Facilities

• Farnham Hospital and Centre for Health
• Farnham Retail Park / Guildford Road Trading Estate
• Farnham Summit Scout Network
• Brightwell Tennis Club
• Brightwell Bowling Club
• Farnham Leisure Centre
• Farnham Youth Project and skateboard park
• East St redevelopment
• Farnham Town Council / Waverley Borough locality offices
• Farnham Train Station
• Farnham Maltings
• South west Farnham via improved A31 crossing

Status

Much of the Weyside Greenway, exists as footpaths and road sections but most of the needed surface dressing, access ramps and the critical road crossings needed to link these isolated sections are yet to be agreed and carried out. 

The developer of the housing at the site of the old Hospital buildings is providing some funding for the link from the Hospital site, through the Guildford Road Trading Estate to Hatch Mill.  With development of the old hospital site underway, funds for this section should be available in 2009.

Meanwhile at the other end of the Weyside Greenway, the awkward Weydon Lane bridge over the railway has reopened.  The scheme narrowed the bridge to single file traffic to make space for a pavement for pedestrians but was also supposed to provide Advance Stop Lines (ASLs) on both approaches will to ensure that cyclists could cross the bridge with priority.  At the Safety Audit in February 2008, it was agreed that ASLs will be added.  Although there is no room for lead-in lanes, it should still be possible to pass waiting cars to the ASL on the A31 side of the bridge.

Three steps forward and two steps back - May 2008

Adding Advance Stop Lines (ASLs) on the Weydon Lane bridge was certainly the plan but the official safety audit report has air brushed out any reference to the cycle safety concerns raised, ASLs or even the eventual routing of National Cycle Route 22!

At least progress is being made on the work to upgrade the existing 'at-grade' crossing of the A31.  The two photos above show the start of work at the end of March (left) and the completion of the crash barrier work at the start of May (right). 

The new crossing will be a Toucan with dropped curbs to Red LionLane.  Once that is done in summer 2008, we will be in a position to sign up the first section of the Weyside Greenway as a National Cycle Route 22 <-> Town Centre link.  This assumes that we can pursuade Surrey County Council to abide by their agreement to make the bridge over the railway more cycle friendly.

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