Access For All
Sett Valley Trail Access Project and why I see it as so very important
Soon after I was elected I was approached by New Mills and District Access Group and invited to one of their meetings. I am a very keen to promote Access for All which I have worked for, for many years mainly in an educational setting. I was told about the work of the New Mills Access Group and I heard about a very large project they wanted to see accomplished. The more I listened and thought about this project, the more obvious it was that this would be of great benefit to New Mills. There are many reasons - including environmental ones - for the importance of making the Sett Valley Trail Accessible to all. Firstly Regeneration *More local people as well as visitors can access the amenities we have across the town We Retain shops through usage! The same goes for all local businesses and societies. The more we support local firms the less petrol we use, Tourism can be encouraged and built up into an industry. With good public transport, both bus and rail visitors can walk to Hayfield or visit the Torrs and River Valley parks Community *Low income/no car families will find it easier to join in community activities *Buggies, wheel chairs and mobility chairs too I hope will have easier and safer access to the town centre and across the town Parents will be able to walk their children to several schools and nurseries -shops. *The Torrs and Riverside Parks will become useable amenities for all members of the community to enjoy *People will not have to struggle to get buggies, walking frames and carts on and off buses
At the moment Cyclists suddenly find the Trail ends and they have nowhere to go *Disabled Access * By completing this route we will enable disabled access to be possible all across and around the town Health Will be improved by us all taking increased Exercise access to many walks will be possible - all of great benefit to the general health of local people What will it do for the environment? Environment *Less bus and car journeys will be needed – whether from the estates in Lowleighton or the heights of High Lea there are a lot of journeys generated… to the doctors, to the Leisure Centre, to the School, Nurseries and Play groups the Children’s Centre the Adult Education Centre and very importantly our local shops The recent increases in the cost of fuel and in the cost of our shopping make this a very important plan We can only do this by getting rid of all the steps on the trail and creating gentle slopes and ramps and this is what we are going to do I am pleased to report that some money has been found and that engineers are about to start detailed plans of the first, and worst, section of the trail between St Georges Road and Church Lane and that contracts will be going out to tender soon.
