Safer, Greener, Healthier Basildon: Broadmayne to Farleigh Road proposed route

In 2023 we used active travel funding to carry out a number of different early engagement activities including an online survey, a drop-in event and sent all residents living within 300m of the proposed route from Broadmayne to Farleigh Road a letter setting out the proposed design and asking for their feedback.

The following lists the key issues residents felt strongly about and how we're responding to them.

You told us that you’re concerned about the safety of the existing cycle and walking paths along the route.

Our response: We'll carry out a safety assessment along the proposed route. For example, additional lighting will be installed where necessary.

You told us that it's difficult to cross the road along the Broadmayne/Southmayne roundabout and the Ashlyns roundabout and more crossings are needed.

Our response: The proposed route will include several new signalised parallel crossings to give pedestrians and cyclists priority when crossing.

You told us that Halstow Way and Bearsted Drive are not suitable for a cyclepath and that Rectory Road could be an alternative.

Our response: Halstow Way and Bearsted Drive are both considered to be a safer route for cyclists as they are significantly less busy and the existing vehicle speeds recorded are lower. Rectory Road is a busier route and also has a lack of actual physical space to create an ‘off-carriageway’ cyclepath making it unsuitable.

You told us that Halstow Way and Bearsted Drive are too steep and narrow for a cycle/footpath.

Our response: The proposed cycle route on Halstow Way and Bearsted Drive will be ‘on-road’ as the existing footway is too narrow and there isn'tt enough space to introduce an ‘off-carriageway’ cycle path. The gradient is below 5% which means it meets current guidance.

You told us that you're concerned that Farleigh Road will become a rat-run with vehicles cutting through to London Road if the route finishes here.

Our response: We understand residents’ concerns and will investigate other design solutions to prevent this from happening. We'll update residents in due course about this.

You told us that the route should finish at the new Eversley leisure complex rather than on Fairleigh Road.

Our response: We appreciated this feedback which is very timely as we’re currently conducting a review of all the cycling routes in Basildon and we will consider whether the Eversley leisure complex could be considered as part of this review. We'll update residents as soon as we can about this.

Read the full evaluation report.