Quiet lanes consultation – your views please

Bildeston Parish Council is exploring the opportunity to designate Consent Lane and Church Road in the village as “Quiet Lanes” as part of a Suffolk wide project. Suffolk County Council is providing the majority of funding for the project.

The Parish Council considers road safety to be a high priority for Bildeston. Quiet Lanes are a nationally recognised designation and are intended for shared use by walkers, cyclists, horse
riders and other road users. They encourage drivers to ‘Expect and Respect’ more vulnerable road users and so allow non-motorised users to enjoy rural lanes in greater safety.

Quiet Lane designation does not impose traffic restrictions and there is no enforcement. Advisory signs (white with green background) are placed at either end of Quiet Lanes to show motorised users clearly that the road is a shared space. We believe this would be of real benefit to the village and those who visit. Consent Lane and Church Road are already frequently used by walkers and link with existing footpaths in the village. Suffolk County Council (Highways) has already agreed that these two roads are suitable for Quiet Lane designation.

As part of the formal public consultation process there will be a Parish Public Meeting to discuss these proposals during the public session of the Parish Council meeting on Monday, 12 July (full details in the July edition of the Bugle).

In the meantime, the Parish Council would welcome your views on designating Consent Lane and Church Road as Quiet Lanes.

Email: Post: Angela Chapman, Ivy Cottage, 55 Wattisham Road, Bildeston, IP7 7EG