Positive response at meeting to discuss canal access at village near Leamington

A ‘positive’ meeting has been held over plans to improve access to a canal towpath at a village near Leamington.

Radford Semele residents have been campaigning for improved access to the Grand Union Canal for more than eight years.

While some fit and healthy pedestrians have made used of steep, treacherous unofficial entry points, access has been barred for cyclists, child buggies, wheelchairs and mobility vehicles.

The only official route is down the narrow Offchurch Lane with no footpath and a 50mph limit.

Neither option is safe for children, the elderly or those with mobility issues, so people have to make a two-mile drive to reach the nearby Greenway path and cycleway.

In 2016, Dave Steele of Friends of Radford’s Green Environment (FoRGE) negotiated the purchase of a piece of land by the Canal & River Trust (CRT) for the construction of an access ramp accessible for all from the A425 footpath at the western edge of the village.

This would enable recreational access to nearby green spaces including Sustrans National Cycle Route 41 as well as providing a carbon-free route to work in nearby Leamington Spa.

Planning permission was granted this year after a great level of supportive comments from villagers who have also raised £1,500 towards FoRGE’s appeal for the scheme.

However, despite eight years of patient campaigning, and having the backing of Radford Semele Parish Council in the form of £41,000 funding from local developments, the project is yet to materialise.

During this time the village population has increased by 25 per cent and new residents are concerned that they cannot access the countryside via the canal.

Several funding bids have fallen through, but an opportunity has opened which involves the walking and cycling charity Sustrans re-routing the cycle route from the Newbold Comyn Radford Road car park along the A425 footpath re-joining the towpath via the proposed new ramp.

This has the support of the CRT, Sustrans, Warwickshire County Council (WCC) and Active Travel England.

However, since the land purchase, width and slope requirements for mobility vehicles for ramps have changed meaning the area of land is now too small.

An exception can be made to allow this project to go ahead but this has to be approved.

Mr Steele said: “It is a paradox that this well-intentioned legislation, designed to improve access for mobility users, could have the opposite affect by blocking this long awaited citizen-led scheme, denying access not only for those it is designed to help but also for everyone else.

"But FoRGE is cautiously optimistic that common sense will prevail and the deadlock can be broken to allow this crucial project to go finally ahead.”

At the meeting, held recently, design modifications were suggested to the engineers of CRT, who will report back some time this month.

Mr Steele said: “‘Although there have been a lot of positive noises from all the agencies involved and many messages of support we are worried that if no solution is found we will be back to square one.

"We have been through this process several times over the past eight years and have been knocked back every time so it’s hard to stay optimistic.”