Hounslow Council have been successful in securing more than £130,000 from the South Western Railway (SWR) Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF).
Published: Wednesday, 9th August 2023
This funding is for the development and delivery of projects across the borough, which include an all-ability cycling hub in Feltham and Hounslow.
This is part of the Council’s ambitious corporate plan for a greener and healthier borough, - supporting residents to make healthy travel choices and improving air quality.
To support this ambition, an all-ability cycling hub has been proposed that will provide free cycle training for all members of the local community, with a particular focus on having a range of adapted bikes for residents with learning and physical disabilities. The funding from SWR for this project will pay for the implementation of a new cycle training hub at Feltham Arenas with the purchase of 30 new cycles. The funding will also cover the purchase of new adaptive cycles to be used at Feltham Arenas and at Inwood Park All Ability Hub in Hounslow.
Hounslow Council have also secured funding to deliver 43 new Sheffield stands for cycle parking - providing a convenient location for rail users and visitors to the wider Kew Bridge and Strand-on-the-Green area.
At Isleworth Station, a forecourt feasibility study will be carried out to understand what further improvements can be made to the station to ensure it is accessible to everyone. The Council along with Network Rail and South Western Rail have already started working on making Isleworth station more accessible by providing a step free access to the main platforms.
A feasibility study will also be carried out at Brentford Station with the aim to improve access for active travel, providing low-carbon methods of access to the rail network.
Councillor Katherine Dunne, Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport and Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “We are very pleased to have been awarded this funding, which will make a difference to our residents and communities. These projects also support our ambitious green agenda as well as helping people lead healthier and more active lives.”
Maryam Zade, SWR’s Customer and Communities Improvement Fund Manager, said: “Connecting people and communities is at the heart of our business and CCIF, our community fund, gives us an opportunity to support organisations with their projects that focus on community benefit.
“Hounslow Council’s development of all-ability cycle hubs will help members of the local community to learn how to be safe on the road and will encourage them to discover the joys of cycling – which, like the railway, is a sustainable and environmentally friendly means of transport.”
