In May 2020 in partnership with the Scottish Government, Sustrans announced a £30million fund ‘Spaces for People' to aid the Local Government response to the current public health emergency. The fund is aimed at making journeys safer for cycling, walking and wheeling during and in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. It is designed to improve our public spaces, such as town centres, through the delivery of temporary and semi-permanent infrastructure and speed reductions to support safe active travel and assist in the recovery of our places.
Stirling Council has successfully received £513,000 from the Sustrans Spaces for People fund. This fund should be used to protect public health in areas where footfall is particularly high, such as core retail areas. This can aid Stirling’s economic recovery in the retail and tourism sectors whilst helping minimise the risk for community transmission.
The funding can only be spent on the following measures:
- Selective road closures using planters or cones
- Reallocating road space for additional seating to aid economic recovery
- Reallocating road space for wider footways
- Reallocating road space for cycle tracks
- Reallocating parking and loading
- Reduced speed limits and/or traffic calming measures
- Cycle parking
- Removal of barriers to open up constrained spaces and remove pinch points
Between the 5th and 26th October 2020 Stirling Council ran a 3 week consultation with the community to direct how and where this funding should be spent.
Approximately 500 responses to this consultation were received. Council Officers, with Officers from Sustrans, assessed all responses to the consultation and have finalised the projects below for development and delivery. These are:
|
Area |
Proposed package of measures |
|
Murray Place & King Street |
Install more quality cycle parking and formalise closures, potentially using planters containing low maintenance plants/flowers. |
|
Upper Craigs |
Installation of advisory pedestrian and cyclist priority signage in appropriate locations. Install cycle parking and explore potential to install seating on Council owned land next to Citizens Advice Bureau. Explore potential of using planters to widen footway. Also explore residents free parking permits for Wellgreen carpark |
|
Top of the Town |
Introduce advisory pedestrian and cyclist priority signage and install cycling parking in keeping with historic nature of area, potentially in park. |
|
King's Park |
Introduce 20mph limit in some residential streets in Kings Park, install quality cycle parking and enhance crossing points to King’s Park main entrance. |
|
Millennium Way |
Change road markings, create bi-directional active travel link, improve drainage, improve crossing and explore installation of cycle crossing at each end of route |
|
City Centre, including Riverside |
Introduce 20mph limit throughout the City where applicable, including Riverside. To visually prioritise people over vehicles on Forrest Road, where Riverside Primary School is located, install artwork and possible temporary buildouts. |
|
Raploch, Cornton and Causewayhead
|
Introduction of 20mph limit in Raploch and on Ladysneuk Road and in Cambuskenneth. Explore introduction of 20mph limit on Causewayhead Road Investigate possibility of reallocating road space for cycling on Ladysneuk Road. Investigate possibility of installing nibs on Woodside Road to reduce speeding. |
|
Bannockburn and Whin’s of Milton |
Introduction of 40mph limit between the Brewers Fayre, Glasgow Road, to Milton Roundabout. Installation of artwork on roads outside of schools, to visually prioritise people over vehicles. |
|
Bridge of Allan
|
Extend cycle infrastructure to junction, install dropped kerbs. Install additional protection at station, using planters or bollards. Introduce a 20mph limit. Provide enhanced cycle parking along Henderson Street. Extend the cycle lane along the A9 from Bridge of Allan station as far as Carse Road. Lower speed limit from A9 Carse Rd to Keir Roundabout to 50mph. |
|
Dunblane |
|
|
Aberfoyle |
Introduce 20mph limit and provide quality cycle parking on Main Street |
|
Fallin |
Installation of horizontal traffic calming/gateways/surface treatments at each end of Main Street and possibly at core retail area. Consult with businesses in core retail area re opening up Main Street and implement an experimental or temporary order for a 20mph limit on this street. Investigate potential to include uncontrolled or informal crossing to park and to shops. |
|
|
Installation of horizontal traffic calming/gateways/surface treatments at each end of Main Street and implement an experimental or temporary order for a 20mph limit on the A9 in Plean on the village centre section, between the roundabouts. Include signage to encourage people to use Plean Country Park and install cycle parking in car parking. |
|
Gargunnock |
Installation of traffic calming entry gateway treatments |
|
Callander |
Introduction of 20mph on Main Street and surrounding streets. Explore removal of specific barriers on old railway line. Installation of higher quality cycle parking. Explore what can be done with gateway signage in tourist town setting (outwith statutory requirements). |
|
Killearn |
Introduction of 20mph limit. Installation of higher quality cycle parking. |
The projects were noted by the Council’s Environment and Housing Committee on the 20th of January 2021 and will proceed under the delegated authority of the Chief Operating Officer for Infrastructure and Environment.
In the coming weeks officers will develop designs and promote these with Ward Councillors, stakeholder groups (such as Community Councils, Business Groups, Development Trusts, Stirling Area Access Panel, Cycle Groups, etc.) as well as the wider community.
Last updated: Monday, February 1, 2021 2:24 PM