Consultation Results

Consultation results

Thank you to everyone that fed back on our proposals for Burley Road to Westgate. The consultation ran from Wednesday 8th January until Monday 10th February 2025. 2,372 people visited the Commonplace site, and 267 surveys were completed (159 long surveys and 108 short surveys)

Below are the main findings from feedback received from both surveys. These were a mixture of online surveys, paper surveys at events, and emails received: 

Long survey

Overall sentiment

Overall, 66% of respondents supported the proposals, 5% felt neutral and 29% of respondents felt negatively towards the scheme.

Free text comments

Analysing the 46 free text comments, the most common themes were: 

• Traffic congestion: some respondents expressed concerns about increased traffic congestion due to the proposed changes, particularly the loss of lanes and right turns.
• Cycling infrastructure: there were mixed opinions on the cycling proposals. Some respondents welcomed the improvements, while others felt that cycling was not in demand and that the changes would cause more congestion.
• Pedestrian safety: several respondents highlighted the need for improved pedestrian crossings and safety measures, especially in areas with high traffic. 
• Public transport impact: concerns were raised about the impact of the changes on public transport, particularly bus reliability and punctuality. 
• Environmental impact: some respondents mentioned the potential environmental impact of increased traffic congestion and the need for better road safety education. 

Do you feel the proposals will help meet the scheme objectives?

The chart shows whether respondents agreed or disagreed as to whether the proposals would help to meet the scheme's objectives.

Over half of respondents agreed that the proposals would:

• fill the gaps in the cycle network to the west of the city centre with new cycle infrastructure (67%)
• increase the number of cycle trips on the route by 50% by 2027 (57%)
• make it easier to make short journeys walking, wheeling and cycling (73%)
• Make the area more pedestrian friendly, accessible and easier to cross the roads (79%)
• improve public transport by upgrading and relocating bus stops (64%)
• reduce the risk of the collisions (71%)

Results for individual sections

Design changes as a result of the consultation

Section 1: Burley Street from St. Andrew’s Street to Marlborough Street

• Initial proposals: Consultation drawing showed no loading provision for businesses at 1-9 Burley Street.
• Change: Following consultation feedback a loading bay will be provided on Rutland Street.

Section 3: A58/Park Lane Junction

• Initial proposal: The consultation drawing showed "4. New pavement" being next to the cycle track.
• Change: We need to keep the existing crash barrier here and so part of the footpath in this section will end up behind the crash barrier, and finish where the opening to the existing footbridge across the ring road is. 
• Initial proposal: The consultation drawing showed the Westgate slip road/loop onto the A58(M) Northbound being reduced to one lane.
• Change: Officers have decided to keep this as two lanes. This change is to future-proof for possible changes in traffic flows in the city centre related to Mass Transit.

Next steps

Officers will now undertake a procurement exercise to secure a contractor and finalise the construction programme. You can view a timeline of the scheme here.