Active travel scheme cancelled over local concern

20 December 2025

Alice CunninghamSuffolk

News image — Sudbury's Melford Road active travel scheme has been cancelled, Suffolk County Council said

Getty Images A cycle and walking path in a residential area. Some green grass lines the left hand side while there is a brown fence lining the right hand side. — Sudbury's Melford Road active travel scheme has been cancelled, Suffolk County Council said

A new scheme to introduce walking and cycling routes and road crossings has been cancelled.

Suffolk County Council's plans for the active travel scheme on Melford Road in Sudbury would have seen works running from January until March.

However the Conservative-run council said following local concerns about the project it had decided to cancel it. Chris Chambers, cabinet member in charge of transport strategy, said it would work to identify and develop other potential active travel schemes in the area.

Jessie Carter, Green councillor for Sudbury, said she was "relieved" by the cancellation, citing "limited benefit".

Jon Wright/BBC Jessie Carter smiles at the camera inside a council building. She has different coloured dreadlocks with multi-coloured beads in them. She has several nose, lip and facial piercings. — Jessie Carter had urged the county council to reconsider the scheme on Melford Road

"Not only would it have caused significant congestion in Sudbury, but it would also have involved a great deal of costly work for very limited benefit," she said.

"Since the public announcement, it has been abundantly clear that residents did not want this scheme to go ahead and felt strongly that the funding could be far better spent elsewhere.

"Given that the criteria required the money to be used for improving active travel in Sudbury, that view was entirely understandable."

Suffolk County Council A portrait photo of Chris Chambers. He smiles at the camera. He has short black hair and wears a navy suit with a white shirt and a black, blue and white tie. — Chris Chambers said the council had listened to concerns

The scheme had been funded by Active Travel England and would have seen the replacement of existing zebra crossings with parallel crossings - similar to zebra crossings but with separate lanes for pedestrians and cyclists.

A shared-use off-road pedestrian and cycle facility with cycle priority across side roads would also have been installed.

"This council is proud to champion projects which promote sustainable travel and reduce car use, thus cutting congestion and pollution in our towns," Chambers said.

"On this occasion my colleagues at Babergh District Council and local people expressed concerns about the proposed scheme and we have acted on those concerns."

Google A view of Melford Road in Sudbury. Houses line the street on each side. A pedestrian crossing with traffic lights can be seen. — The project on Melford Road would have seen existing zebra crossings replaced

Since 2023, the council has received more than £13m for active travel schemes and more recently was awarded a further £12.5m for the period 2026-27 to 2029-30.

Similar plans to encourage sustainable transport methods in Woodbridge have been met with some opposition.

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