A scheme to install a new walking and cycling route and new pedestrian crossings in Sudbury has been cancelled.
Melford Road would have seen the replacement of existing zebra crossings with parallel crossings, and installation of a shared-use off-road pedestrian and cycle facility, with cycle priority across side roads.
Installation works by Suffolk County Council were scheduled to begin in mid-January 2026 and complete by the end of March 2026.
However following local concerns about the scheme, which was funded by Active Travel England, it has been decided it should now not go ahead.
Councillor Chris Chambers, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy said: “Local people voiced concerns about the scheme and we have listened.
“This council is proud to champion projects which promote sustainable travel and reduce car use, thus cutting congestion and pollution in our towns.
“On this occasion my colleagues at Babergh District Council and local people expressed concerns about the proposed scheme, and we have acted on those concerns.”
Councillor Chambers said that work would continue to identify and develop other potential active travel schemes in the Sudbury area.
Active Travel England (ATE) works with local authorities and other bodies to help them put in place infrastructure and facilities that make it easier for more people to walk, wheel and cycle, more often, on local journeys.
On December 11 it announced it was awarding Suffolk a total of £12,537,098 for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30.
Since 2023 Suffolk has received more than £13m, which has been used on schemes including new pedestrian crossings in Bridge Street and College Road by Ipswich Waterfront.
Improved cycle routes include from Ipswich Hospital to the Waterfront area, Nacton Road in Ipswich, Main Road in Martlesham, and within Woodbridge as part of the town’s active travel project.
The projects form part of Suffolk’s wider Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) to deliver safer, greener routes across the county.
ENDS
Councillor Chris Chambers, Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy, Planning and Waste, 07595 310290, [email protected]
