Mid Suffolk’s £3m funding for scheme to link villages – latest for ‘trailblazing’ network
Elmswell and Woolpit are to be connected by a new footpath and cycle way thanks to £3m of funding from Mid Suffolk District Council.
The grant adds to almost half a million already invested by the council towards new walking and cycling schemes across the district.
On Tuesday (10 June), Mid Suffolk District Council’s cabinet approved £3m in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding to go towards the new footpath and cycle way.
It will be delivered and maintained in the future by Suffolk County Council.
The scheme will link the two villages – enabling residents to safely access local services and facilities by bike or foot, rather than by car, including:
- local schools
- Elmswell train station
- Woolpit Medical Centre
- Woolpit Business Park
- village halls
- and sports facilities
The scheme is listed within both Suffolk County Council’s and Mid Suffolk District Council’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIP) as a key piece of active travel infrastructure.
It is the latest in a series of cycling and walking infrastructure projects to have been made possible by funding from Mid Suffolk District Council.
Over the last three years, a further £219,627 in CIL funding has already been approved for 13 cycling and walking infrastructure projects.
These include new footpaths, bridleway upgrades and improvements to public rights of way across the district.
An additional £118,900 has been allocated to 11 similar projects through Mid Suffolk’s portion of the Government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund.
These range from bridge and gate replacements in and around Eye, to River Gipping path improvements between Stowmarket and Bramford, among others.
Mid Suffolk District Council has also committed £149,500 to help progress LCWIP schemes within its patch.
The monies have gone towards a dedicated design engineer for one year, hosted by Suffolk County Council, and essential scheme design work, such as topographical surveys and safety audits.
“It’s great we can provide funding to help these vital projects, such as this one in Elmswell and Woolpit, come to fruition in Mid Suffolk.
“We want to get people cycling and walking more, and using their cars less, both for the benefit of their health and the environment.
“By working with partners and providing this crucial funding, we can be literal trailblazers in helping these schemes come to life.”
"I am delighted this funding has been granted as it will allow Suffolk County Council to progress this important piece of infrastructure for Woolpit and Elmswell.
"This will complement the Section 106 developer funding already secured, alongside Suffolk County Council's commitment of £300,000 from its Local Transport Plan funding which will see this project come forward.
"Suffolk County Council published its updated Local Transport Plan in the spring of 2025, with increasing the number of trips by walking, wheeling and cycling high on its agenda, so we are pleased this scheme will link Woolpit to Elmswell railway station and enable more journeys in Suffolk to be made by sustainable means."
CIL funding is paid by developers building homes within the district, which the council then reinvests in eligible infrastructure projects.
Find further information about how CIL works can be found on the council’s website
