Sustainable travel
Our sustainable transport vision
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are committed to helping our residents and visitors make sustainable journeys. These journeys benefit our environment, as well as our physical and mental health and wellbeing.
To learn more about our goals - and how we will work to achieve them - please read our vision document:
Read our Vision for Sustainable Travel
Active travel
Following an extensive community consultation in 2021, the Councils have produced a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.
This plan identifies the improvements we wish to make to help our residents and visitors feel safe and comfortable, whilst walking or cycling around our districts. We will work with partners to seek funding for - and the delivery of - these improvements.
You can read more information about the plan, how it was developed and how we hope to implement it via the link below:
Read our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan methodology report
You can read more information about the list of improvements - which have been broken down into 'schemes' - via the links below:
- Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan schemes for Babergh
- Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan schemes for Mid Suffolk
The schemes are also displayed via the interactive map below:
Key:
The list of improvements and map of schemes - and how they have been prioritised - remain a dynamic part of our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. Therefore, the plan will be reviewed regularly and is subject to changes and amendments.
If you come across a new or urgent issue with existing cycling or walking infrastructure, please report a highways issue via Suffolk County Council's Highways Reporting Tool.
Such issues may include:
- damage to, or obstruction on, cycle lanes
- missing or damaged pedestrian guardrails
- problems with signage
For more information about walking and cycling in the districts, please access the following links:
- The Way to Go Suffolk - this website includes local walking and cycling maps
- Discover Suffolk - this website (and app) includes suggested walking and cycling routes
- Public rights of way and access in Suffolk - these webpages from Suffolk County Council (SCC) include information about how to access (and report problems with) the local public rights of way network
- Active travel improvements for cycling and walking - this webpage from SCC includes information about how they are working to improve cycling and walking infrastructure in the county. Information about local consultations is also included
- Quiet Lanes Suffolk - this website provides information about the 'Quiet Lanes' initiative, which provides safer spaces to walk and cycle
Encouraging more active travel
As part of our work to encourage more walking and wheeling, we regularly take part in - or share - national active travel campaigns, like Cycling UK's Big Bike Revival. We also run community engagement events, which focus on sustainable travel as a topic.
We have worked in partnership with Suffolk County Council, and Performance in Education, to deliver interactive, theatrical performances in primary schools. These performances encourage pupils and parents to travel to school more sustainably, and they raise awareness of the environmental benefits of doing so - which include reducing carbon emissions, and improving local air quality.
For more information about these performances, please access the following document:
Abbie Ayre and the Shed of Science (tour evaluation report)
Passenger transport (public and community transport)
Whilst we do not operate, or hold contracts for, passenger transport, we are committed to supporting the needs of our residents and visitors. Wherever possible, we support transport delivery partners so that they can do this.
Because of this, we are an engaged, committed key stakeholder in the:
- Suffolk Enhanced Partnership (for bus travel)
- East West Main Line Partnership (for train travel)
For more information about local passenger transport (including services and timetables), please visit Suffolk on Board's website.
To find out about rural community transport provision in your area - and to book a journey - please visit Suffolk on Board's Connecting Communities webpage.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Infrastructure
The district council provides EV charging facilities within the council owned and operated car parks. You can find details of these EV charge points – including number of bays, types of charger and cost per kilowatt hour - by checking the individual car park’s webpage here.
For locations and information about other public access charge points across the district, it is recommended to use ZapMap: www.zap-map.com
The district council also works with our local communities and Suffolk County Council’s Plug in Suffolk programme to support further EV infrastructure roll-out.
Babergh and Mid Suffolk Council’s have produced a joint EV Infrastructure Implementation Plan which makes suggestions for potential locations (on district owned land) for new charge points as and when funding becomes available.