New town centre bike parking facilities for the community
New dedicated bike parking facilities have been installed in St Neots town centre as part of a series of planned town centre improvements. St Neots Town Council have worked collaboratively as part of the St Neots Masterplan for Growth to commission two new dedicated cycle racks and raised planters providing convenient, town centre parking for cyclists, which hasn’t been available previously.
The racks have been positioned in front of the Market Square adjacent to St Neots Road. Each cycle rack provides parking for up to 8 bikes and the planters have been designed to contain bee friendly plants to encourage pollinators. The racks are already in regular use since being installed on Friday 27 September. Follows of the Town Council Facebook page have commented on the welcome addition to the town centre:
“brilliant, we used them today and they were filling up…”
“at last, somewhere to leave your bike in the centre of town. They look great.” “great addition to encourage more cycling”
“Excellent work! They look fantastic!”
Mayor of St Neots, Cllr Gordon Thorpe said:
“The cycle racks are a great addition to the town centre facilities and were instantly welcomed by our residents. Their installation is the first visible sign of the cooperative venture between the Town Council and the St Neots Masterplan project with many more to follow. Let St Neots Flourish.”
Cllr David Wells, Chair of the Masterplan Steering Committee said:
“I was in the town centre early last Friday morning and it was really great to see the cycle racks being installed and later to hear of the positive response to these. Building on Cllr Thorpe’s comments the cycle racks represent the first delivery in a multi-million pound investment aimed at further enhancing St Neots as an attractive place for all to live, work and enjoy life”
The St Neots Master Plan for Growth is a partnership of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Mayor James Palmer, Cambridgeshire County, Huntingdonshire District and St Neots Town councils. The cycle racks are part of an early delivery of improvements to the market square which will also include new bus shelters and heritage benches. Longer term parts of the Master plan include improvements to skills, employment opportunities
and looking at options for a providing improved community, leisure and commercial opportunities on the riverfront and in the town centre. Improved transport and digital links are also targeted in the plan including works to improve and widen footpaths and cycle routes through Riverside Park which are planned to coincide with the development of the new foot and cycle bridge. Construction for the new bridge is likely to commence in late spring 2020, subject to final planning approval.