A special initiative to supply a cycle for each household on Kingsway, Gloucestershire’s leading homes jobs and leisure destination located on the A38 south of Gloucester, is now underway.
Every household on Kingsway – some 3,600 will be built in all – is to be offered the opportunity to purchase an adult bicycle through a scheme which is part of the developments’ recently launched special Transport Plan. One of the plan’s key aims is to encourage more cycling throughout the development and surrounding area.
Purchasers of a new home on Kingsway will be issued with a single special voucher when they move into their new home, which can then be exchanged for a men’s or women’s cycle at the Halfords store in Eastern Avenue, Gloucester. However, if residents prefer they can use the voucher to make a £75.00 contribution towards the purchase of the cycle of their choice.
Some eighty homes are already occupied on Kingsway and residents in these homes will be retrospectively supplied cycle scheme vouchers.
Explains Martin Dolan of the Capita Symonds company, which has masterminded the overall travel plan for Kingsway, “This free cycle scheme is very much a key part of the overall master travel plan that we’ve drawn up for the Kingsway area.
Encouraging cycling in this very practical way is all part of reducing car usage and encouraging Kingsway residents to travel in other, more environmentally friendly, ways.
The flat terrain and many planned cycle ways on Kingsway will make cycling safe and convenient. There is also to be a direct cycle link to the city centre so cycling to and from Kingsway will be ideal for the commuter, the shopper and those who wish to cycle in their leisure time.”
The cycle chosen for the Kingsway scheme is the stylish XC26, a sturdy, top-selling machine in a metallic blue and white.
Says Halfords Store Manager, Gareth Holbrook, “This is a first rate machine with18 gears and, of course, it meets every all British Safety standards. It is a highly appropriate machine to be part of this exciting scheme, ideal for day-to-day use and is available in different frame sizes so every resident can feel very much at home on this machine.”
Adds Dan Markevics of Halfords in charge of the Kingsway cycle scheme, “This is an exciting, really worthwhile initiative and, of course, we as a company are delighted to see more and more people embracing cycling as a modern means of getting about, which has the environment in mind. The city planners and, indeed, the QUVL consortium itself, are to be congratulated on this excellent initiative.
The development of the Kingsway Travel Plan which includes the new free cycle scheme is just one of a wide range of social and infrastructure contributions being made by QUVL.
The QUVL consortium consists of four development companies: George Wimpey, Taylor Woodrow, Persimmon and Cheltenham-based commercial developer Robert Hitchins. Six other leading developers are also now building on Kingsway – Kings Oak, Barratt, Bloor, David Wilson and Laing.
A provision of £1.4m is being made by QUVL towards public transport provision and some £9m towards the new South West Bypass, which opens next spring.
As well as the roads cash £6.6m is being made available to build a new single primary school actually on Kingsway as well as towards secondary education provision in the city.
Work begins on building the primary school next spring. The money being made available for secondary education will be spent on extra provision on secondary schools directly serving the south Gloucester area, which will include the new Kingsway development.
Adds QUVL Chairman Andy Hill, “All these payments were part of the planning permission given to QUVL to develop on Kingsway.”
Explains Dan Markevics of Halfords in charge of the Kingsway cycle scheme, “This is an exciting, really worthwhile initiative and, of course, we as a company are delighted to see more and more people embracing cycling as a modern means of getting about, which has the environment in mind. The city planners and, indeed, QUVL itself, are to be congratulated on this excellent initiative.