Wokingham Borough Council has built a new footway in Shinfield to help pedestrians avoid the busy stretch of Hyde End Road in Spencers Wood.
After listening to residents’ concerns about large vehicles mounting the existing footway, the council built the new path as an alternative pedestrian route. It leads away from Hyde End Road near the garden centre and joins up with the existing footway near Appleton Way, which is currently being widened.
Work started on it at the beginning of this year and took two months to finish, ahead of schedule.
“The safety of our residents is our number one priority,” said Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport. “We’ve listened to them and are pleased to offer them this alternative route where they can feel safe and secure.”
Local transport campaigner Ian Young agreed. “This path is a very welcome addition to the local infrastructure, particularly for those residents keen to walk to and from our local schools,” he said. “It is the culmination of a lot of effort from a whole team of people from the community and elsewhere.
“Particular thanks go to the University of Reading for making the land available, to Shinfield ward members Cllr Anthony Pollock and Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor for providing very solid support for the project, and the budget necessary to pay for it, and to Wokingham Borough Council’s highways team for delivering a professional project.”
