The proposals were put together following public consultation with park visitors and residents which highlighted an increased interest in allowing cycling across Abbey Fields.

The new path will increase community use of Abbey Fields, enabling different users, including cyclists, to share the path when visiting the new swimming pool area and the play area, with the introduction of clear signage. 

Councillor Hema Yellapragada, Portfolio Holder for Decarbonisation comments:

“This is great news for users of Abbey Fields, providing a shared path which will allow everyone who wants to use the park to travel across it. The design of the route puts safety first, with measures such as clear signage and layout intended to support safe, shared use by pedestrians and cyclists, particularly in busier areas of the park.

"As the scheme is now progressed through the necessary next stages, this will go a long way towards improving active travel links in Kenilworth, and easing the parking pressure in Abbey Fields by supporting priorities set out in local walking and cycling strategies."

Council officers will now progress the scheme further once the necessary statutory permissions and consents are in place, including planning permission and Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England. 

The route will form part of the National Cycle Network Route 52.

Further information

• The final designs were produced with support from Walk Wheel Cycle Trust (formerly Sustrans)
• The scheme requires statutory permissions and consents including planning permission (Warwick District Council as Local Planning Authority) and Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England
• Cycling would be permitted on the designated shared path only; existing byelaws would continue to apply to other paths across Abbey Fields
• Some illustrative images referenced in the Cabinet report appendices include AI-generated impressions