Essex have residents have backed the aims of the council’s Safer, Greener, Healthier Active Travel campaign with almost three quarters (74%) supporting prioritising and increasing space for walking whilst 66% support more space for cycling.
In the report, on a county-wide level, traffic congestion, air pollution and road safety were top of concerns.
The six-week consultation ran from 27th May to 11th July and out of the 2,482 responses received:
- 86% of respondents said that they were concerned or very concerned about traffic congestion
- 80% of respondents said that they were concerned or very concerned about air pollution
- 86% of respondents said that they were concerned or very concerned about road safety
The consultation also sought feedback on five proposed schemes in Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Colchester and Wickford.
Cllr Lee Scott, Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Sustainable Transport at Essex County Council, said: “It is clear there is widespread support for the aims expressed in our Safer, Greener, Healthier transport agenda with particular concern expressed about congestion and air pollution across the county.
“The results show a wide variety of views for the proposals covering the five locations. I have always said this consultation is about Essex County Council listening. We have engaged with communities and spoken to people face to face and all these responses will be taken into account. I will now be considering the findings and making my recommendations toward a final decision being announced by ECC.
