A CONSULTATION has been launched on the possibility of a new cycle lane in Salisbury.

A scheme under consideration is a permanent shared-use cycle path on Downton Road, Salisbury.

Wiltshire Council has received £681,000 from the second tranche of the Department for Transport's (DfT) Active Travel Fund to progress cycling schemes in the county.

The award is less than the £908,000 that the council originally bid for, and so to establish which schemes to take forward, it is holding a consultation on the proposed options, and also consulting on the first tranche of temporary schemes, which are already in place.

Councillor Bridget Wayman, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: "Original DfT advice was to install these temporary cycle lanes quickly and without consultation as part of the Emergency Active Travel fund.

"However, we want to find out people's views on the next round of schemes, and also on the temporary cycle lanes that are already installed, so we are holding this online consultation, which will start next week.

"We will progress schemes based on the outcome of this consultation and further comments from the DfT, and we will also make a decision on the ones currently in place based on the feedback we receive.

"We'll have more details on how people can respond to the online survey next week, and will promote it through our social media channels, on our website and in the local media."

The council did not originally consult ahead of the installation of tranche 1 schemes (Brown Street and Exeter Street), as that is what was instructed by the DfT as part of the Emergency Active Travel fund.

Barriers on some schemes are in place because the Government’s Cycle Infrastructure Design states that “Cyclists must be physically separated and protected from high volume motor traffic, both at junctions and on the stretches of road between them.”

To find out more about the schemes, and to take the consultation, go to www.wiltshire.gov.uk/highways-road-reallocation-schemes