DELIVERING new cycle routes to link Somerset’s county town to two growing villages could cost up to £15m to deliver.

Somerset County Council commissioned a study in March 2023 into new “sustainable transport options” (such as walking and cycling routes) which would link Taunton to the nearby villages of Bishop’s Lydeard and Cotford St. Luke.

The £50,000 study was designed to develop detailed proposals which could be delivered by funding from the government’s active travel fund, contributions from housing developers or by the council in-house.

Following consultation with local stakeholders in December 2023, Somerset Council (which replaced the county council in April 2023) has revealed that it could cost up to £15m to deliver new cycle routes in full – with no funding being immediately available.

Both villages lie to the north-west of Taunton on two main commuter roads – with Bishop’s Lydeard being on the A358 (connecting Taunton to Williton) and Cotford St. Luke being on the B3227, which eventually leads to Wiveliscombe and the Exmoor National Park.

Both roads see large volumes of traffic but have limited or irregular pavements and little cycling provision until they enter the outskirts of Taunton.

Bishop’s Lydeard has already experienced significant housing growth, with David Wilson Homes delivering 173 new homes on the Moorland Gate site on Taunton Road, at the southern entrance to the village.

Cotford St. Luke will see dozens of new homes delivered in the coming years, with Lovell Homes expected to begin building 80 new homes on Dene Road in the spring of 2025.