Unlocking funding in Nottingham
ITP was appointed to prepare the economic case to support Nottingham City Council’s application to the D2N2 Local Economic Partnership (LEP) for Local Growth Funding, to improve connections between existing and planned major employment sites at Nottingham’s Enterprise Zone.
The proposed scheme centred on a 50-metre walking and cycling bridge traversing the Midland Mainline and complementary shared paths to link Lenton and the Boots site with Nottingham Science Park and University Boulevard.
We used WebTAG economic appraisal guidance to estimate the benefits of the proposed scheme. Estimates of commuters were derived using data taken from the Department for Transport-funded Propensity to Cycle Tool and the 2011 Census. We calculated the immediate economic effects of the scheme alongside the health benefits and improved ‘employment intensity’ at the site, using evidence from other similar projects around the UK. We were also able to articulate the benefits of the removal of the segregation of walkers and cyclists caused by the railway line.
The council’s funding application was successful, and the scheme was awarded £6.1 million of funding by the D2N2 LEP. Construction of the scheme commenced in 2018 with the bridge installed in August. Several ITP staff involved in the project were delighted to be able to attend the official opening of the bridge on the 8th of March 2019 which has been named after Dr Stewart Adams, the Boots scientist who discovered ibuprofen.
Helping to unlock funding for schemes such as this will certainly help to encourage more people to choose cycling (and walking) for short journeys.
Please click here if you would like to know more about appraisal and business case projects which ITP has been involved in, and get in touch should you need support in unlocking funding for sustainable transport projects.