Shire Hall is inviting business owners' views on the second section of a planned new £12m 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 this winter.

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.

When finished, the second section will link Bishop's Cleeve directly to the Honeybourne Line and Cheltenham Railway Station. It will also form part of the proposed 26-mile cycle spine that aims to link Stroud to Bishop's Cleeve, via Gloucester and Cheltenham.

A spokesperson said: "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."

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.

Integral to the work, one kilometre of hedgerow on the east side of A435 Evesham Road from the current highway boundary to the new highway boundary further east will need to be replanted from February, the job being staged in advance of the bird nesting season and the start of construction works scheduled for the summer.

A spokesman said the move provided a boost for biodiversity: "The existing hedgerow is made up of both native and non-native species, which as a consequence does not support biodiversity in the best way. In building the cycleway, the opportunity has been taken to not only relocate the hedgerow but in doing so only to transplant those species which are native to the UK and then strengthen the relocated hedge with new UK native/non-invasive species rich mix of shrubs and trees."

Hawthorn, field maple, Guelder rose, hazel, spindle, crab apple, holly and honeysuckle are planned, whie species possibly poisonous to farm animals will be omitted.

Cllr David Gray, cabinet member for environment and planning, said: "It's great news that work is progressing. This route is an essential part of the wider 26-mile cycle spine we're building across the county to create a greener Gloucestershire. It will also help encourage people to use more sustainable methods of transport and reduce carbon emissions from vehicles."

He urged businesses to visit the drop-in event.

A spokesperson added: "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."

A public drop-in event on the plans for the first element of Section 2 (GSWR Bridge to Bishop's Cleeve) will be held at Cheltenham Tigers Rugby Club, Southam Lane, Southam this Thursday (January 25th) from 10am-7.30pm. It will provide an opportunity to meet the project team, view details of the plans and give feedback.

Further access to the scheme can be found via the county council's website, while an online survey will be available until March 7th.

Funding for the route is expected to total more than £12 million and comes from the Department for Transport Active Travel Funding, Section 106 contributions, and the council's capital programme.