Active Travel initiative to promote walking and cycling across ABC council area, here's what is planned for 13 areas

The 13 areas in questions – with populations ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 residents – are Aghagallon, Bleary, Donaghcloney, Dollingstown, Gilford, Keady, Laurelvale, Markethill, Rathfriland, Richhill, Tandragee, Magheralin and Waringstown.

Active Travel is one of the projects within the Covid Recovery Small Settlements Regeneration Programme (CRSSRP).

The project is funded by the Department for Infrastructure. It has a remaining budget of £962,000, with the aim to improve the active travel infrastructure for the small settlements and has a date for delivery of March 2025.

The scheme was mentioned at a recent Economic Development & Regeneration Committee meeting, as approval was needed for the works being envisaged, and an ICT team also had to be appointed to deliver the project.

A total 65 potential interventions have been identified over the 13 small settlements. The following being envisaged for:

• Aghagallon: A settlement hub at Aghagallon Community Centre; speed reduction measures on Aghalee Road; improved cycle wayfinding signage to the nearby NCN cycle routes and greenways; footway extension on the Lurgan Road between the Whitehall Road and Annaghdroghal Lane, to allow for easier access to the towpath; pedestrian connection between Parknasilla Way and the Lagan towpath greenway; improvements to the Whitehall Road Lagan Canal car park.
• Bleary: a settlement hub adjacent to Bleary Primary School; a new crossing point at the junction of Plantation Road, Deans Road and Dunkirk Road; new wayfinding signage for the existing ‘Highway to Health’ walking route; and new wayfinding and signage at key locations throughout the settlement to replace outdated signage information to quiet routes and key cycle links.
• Dollingstown: a settlement hub adjacent to Alfred Terrace; a new crossing point on the A3 outside St. Saviour’s Church; upgrade of the pedestrian crossings along each arm of the A3 Belfast Road roundabout; and a footway extension to Huhtamaki Fiber Packaging Lurgan factory.
• Donaghcloney: a settlement hub at the corner of B9 Main Street and William Street; a new crossing point outside the Royal British Legion premises; a new footbridge at B9 River Lagan Bridge; footway improvements adjacent to Donaghcloney Cemetery; new lighting along the Lisnasure Road and Baird Avenue pathway to improve visibility and safety.
• Gilford: a settlement hub at Dunbarton Street; a new crossing point at Gilford Inn; a new crossing point outside River Side Shopping Mall; a footway extension to complete the Keady Row Loanin’ Loop.
• Keady: a settlement hub at Kinelowen Street; a footway extension outside St. Patrick’s High School to link up existing footways; a new wayfinding/signage accompanied by a 5K route map; a new crossing point on Bridge Street; a new crossing point on Annvale Crescent; and a footway extension/improvements along Annvale Road connecting upper and lower residential areas to Keady Glen.
• Laurelvale / Mullavilly: a settlement hub adjacent to the Corner of Laurelvale Road and Old Mill Manor; footway improvements adjacent to Laurelvale Post Office; a new crossing point adjacent to Laurelvale playpark; and a school safety zone initiative for Mullavilly Primary School with safety bollards, signage and raised table.
• Magheralin: a settlement hub on the A3 Belfast Road; traffic-calming and footway improvements outside the Centra Shop on New Forge Road; a school safety zone initiative with safety bollards, signage and raised table; a new crossing point on the A3 linking the bus stops and proposed settlement hub; a new raised table and tactile paving at the existing crossing on New Forge Road.
• Markethill: a settlement hub at the corner of the B3 Newry Road and Bunker Hill; public realm improvements to provide public space at a proposed settlement hub location; a new segregated cycle lane connecting Markethill High School to Markethill; a new footway extension and uncontrolled crossing with island from Markethill Wood/Main Street to the Gosford Forest entrance; a new crossing point outside Markethill Primary School.
• Rathfriland: a settlement hub adjacent to Church Square; footway widening, a raised table and new pedestrian crossing outside the Health Centre, Library and Community Centre; a feasibility study with a view to making Church Square a more pedestrian and active travel-friendly environment; a new crossing point on Downpatrick Street, adjacent to the Translink Depot; a second crossing point on Downpatrick Street.
• Richhill: a settlement hub on The Square; public realm improvements including the rationalisation of The Square into a more pedestrian and active travel-friendly environment around the proposed settlement hub; a feasibility study for a potential walking and cycling link from Main Street (opposite the Memorial) to Sleepy Valley; a new crossing point and rationalisation at the corner of Groucho’s Café Bar/Richhill Castle; a new crossing point outside the Recreation Centre; a new crossing point located between Corcreevy Road and Main Street.
• Tandragee: a settlement hub on The Square (Cenotaph); a new raised table at the service entrance to Tayto to connect Tandragee Junior High School to the settlement; a new crossing point at Tandragee Junior High School; new cycle parking facilities in the Market Street car park.
• Waringstown: a settlement hub on Main Street; a new crossing point outside the school entrance on Main Street; a new cycleway on the A26 through the settlement; a new crossing point on Clare Road outside the cricket club; new cycle parking facilities at the Churchill Place playpark.

Councillor Kyle Savage (UUP, Lagan River DEA) welcomed the range of initiatives being envisaged.

“It seems a long time ago that we were standing in Gilford Community Centre at the consultation, so I’m glad to see this is finally moving forward, and that an ICT team is going to be appointed,” he said.

“Hopefully we’ll keep to that timescale of March 2025. The report has highlighted a lot of the problems that exist within our rural villages, and other departments need to step up to the mark and deliver.

“Whenever you have footpaths in villages that wheelchairs can’t even use and so on, I think it’s important for our rural settlements that they are joined up to the urban areas, that we can carry that the whole way through as much as possible through our council area. I’m happy to propose [the recommendation] and hopefully this gets over the line.

“I know there’s areas there that need to be sorted, and [regarding] Waringstown I’d like to see that moving as quickly as possible, as well as Donaghcloney.”

The recomendation to approve the Active Travel plans and to appoint a dedicated IT team was seconded by Councillor Thomas O’Hanlon (SDLP, Armagh DEA).