POWYS County Council have secured further Welsh Government funding to extend and improve the active travel routes within the county.

Committed to improving facilities for residents wishing to make short journeys on foot or by bike, the council have been working with communities to find potential active travel routes across Powys. Through engagement exercises and consultations, active travel routes which could either be improved or introduced have been identified and added to the councils Active Travel Network Maps (ATNM).

The latest Welsh Government grant will support the following schemes included in the county’s ATNM:

• New active travel route in Treowen, Newtown – the pavement on the north side of Heol Treowen from Dolfor Road to Treowen Primary School will be widened to become a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians. This will improve the surface of the existing path and increase safety for all users, particularly for families and pupils going to and from school.

• Improvements to the active travel route in the Elan Valley – cycleway improvements will be made, including bridge widening and safer crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists, to the existing shared use path between Cwmdauddwr and Elan village.

• Safety study at Llanllwchaiarn – a safety study will be carried out along the riverside path from Newtown to Llanllwchaiarn, with the aim of identifying and addressing concerns raised about safety in the area for lone, or vulnerable, pedestrians and cyclists.

• An active travel promotion in both Newtown and Llandrindod Wells – a study and promotion work will be conducted to produce physical maps of the areas, to promote awareness and encourage greater uptake of active travel.

“The Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 aims to make Wales a walking and cycling nation,” said Councillor Heulwen Hulme, Powys County Council cabinet member for environment.

“Essentially, this means that we are endeavouring to make it possible for us to all make short journeys such as our commute to work, school or local shops, by physically active means, like walking or cycling.

“We are delighted to have secured this latest instalment of Welsh Government funding, which allows us to keep the momentum going and begin work on the next set of active travel projects that will improve road, pedestrian and cyclist safety.”

More information and confirmation of start dates for the works will be released shortly.