Breaking New Ground

In November 2013, the now defunct Brecks Partnership submitted Heritage Lottery Fund for almost £1.5M towards a collection of projects under the title “Breaking New Ground”. The projects cover landscape conservation, improving community participation in local heritage, increasing access to and learning about the countryside, and increasing training opportunities in local heritage skills. The bid was successful, and so the various projects can now go ahead. There are two cycling related projects that are of particular interest, the “Brecks Forest Way” — improvements to various routes along the Little Ouse valley between Thetford and Brandon, and the “Brecks Rides” a new long-distance multi-user route between St Helens and West Stowe. For further details see the following links:

• The Brecks: Breaking New Ground
• My page on Proposed Developments
• Bury Free Press: Brecks Scheme gets Grant Aid
• Thetford and Brandon Times: Brecks Project Scoops £1.5m Lottery Funding

Route Inspection

This afternoon, I took advantage of the good weather to cycle over my section of route 13 and route 30 from Thetford to the C150 south of Bridgham. It was good to see that the step by the Thetford Tesco Store that I had previously contacted Norfolk County Council about had now been repaired.

Despite the recent wet weather, the surface of Bridgham lane was already quite sandy on the southern section. This will need monitoring over the summer.

Back in Thetford, I did work on two signs. First, adding a new sign on Croxton road just south of Mundford road, and secondly replacing a damaged sign near the west end of Green Lane.

 

Finally, although not on the Sustrans route, the well-used Joe Blunt’s Lane has previously had some shingle added to a couple of short sections as part of work for the Thetford Academy. I complained to Norfolk County Council back in November 2013 that this would be dangerous for cyclists. In response, they said they’d asked the contractor to remove the shingle, but this doesn’t seem to have happened yet. I’ll be contacting the council again about this.