Gloucestershire County Council is asking residents to give their views on the next section of a planned new walking and cycling route between Cheltenham and Bishop's Cleeve.

Work on the first section of the A435 Cycleway, between the Honeybourne Line and Cheltenham Racecourse Roundabout, got under way last year and is expected to finish in winter 2024.

Section 2 will deliver walking and cycling improvements alongside the A435 Evesham Road between Cheltenham Racecourse Roundabout and Bishop's Cleeve, including the GE Roundabout. The work is being split into two phases:

• Phase 1: Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) Bridge to GE Roundabout, Bishop's Cleeve. Construction will begin in summer 2024. This work has been timed to coincide with urgent ground stabilisation work directly south of the rail bridge following recent ground movement.
• Phase 2: Cheltenham Racecourse Roundabout to GWSR Bridge. The designs for this section are currently under development and will be made available later this year.

The A435 walking and cycling route, when finished, will link into Section 1 and connect Bishop's Cleeve directly to the Honeybourne Line and Cheltenham Railway Station. It also forms part of the proposed 26-mile cycle spine linking Stroud to Bishop's Cleeve, via Gloucester and Cheltenham.

The scheme will help the county council's aims of becoming carbon net zero by 2045, as well as improving access to homes, employment, education and transport hubs. It will see significant improvements in the cycling and walking network being delivered across the county, to support a greener Gloucestershire.

To find out more and to have your say, visit the survey at A435 Cycleway scheme - Section 2, Phase 1 engagement (Cheltenham Racecourse Roundabout to Bishop's Cleeve) | Have Your Say Gloucestershire (engagementhq.com) 

The engagement exercise runs until 5pm on Thursday, March 7.