FAQs

Key activities undertaken to develop the LCWIP are summarised below. More information is available from the consultation webpage. Additionally, more information on the DfT’s LCWIP guidelines and the methodology followed to identify walking and cycling routes can be found in their technical guidance for local authorities.

1. Determining the Scope and Approach (completed)

In Stage 1 of the project, we established the geographical extent of the LCWIP, agreed how decisions would be made and how schemes would be delivered as well as the project timescales. It was decided that the LCWIP would focus on the borough of Maidstone. This ensures the LCWIP uncovers opportunities and constraints for active travel in both urban and rural areas and helps better understand the challenge around connecting the rural settlements into the Maidstone Urban Area.

2. Gathering Information (completed)

A review of national, regional, and local policies was carried out in relation to active travel to help to situate the LCWIP within existing policies and plans. Detailed data gathering and analysis was carried out to help understand Maidstone’s demographics, current and future active travel demand, physical constraints and opportunities such as topography, accident hotspots and air quality. The image shows Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) data across Maidstone.

 3. Network Planning for Cycling and Walking (Current)

The information gathered was used to map the current active travel patterns and demand, public transport and highway networks and demographics. This information was used to understand the local context, identify any active travel network gaps and understand opportunities and constraints for encouraging mode shift to active modes across Maidstone.

Based on this analysis, major trip origins and trip destinations for walking and cycling were identified across Maidstone. These included: planned/ committed developments, education, healthcare and retail sites. Following that, key cycling desire lines between these key trip origins and destinations were mapped. Additionally, cross-border desire lines identified in the Kent Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (KCWIP) were considered in the analysis to ensure integration between the KCWIP and Maidstone LCWIP and better connect Maidstone with neighbouring districts. 

Cycling 

Overall, there were 315 desire lines identified which were then scored against multiple criteria. The scoring included the consideration of the existing and planned active travel network to ensure that the proposed desire lines and routes fill the network gaps and contribute to a comprehensive and dense cycling and walking network in the future. The highest scoring desire lines were converted to routes. 49 desire lines were scored as ‘primary’ and taken forward for route selection. 

These desire lines were first simplified to identify key movement corridors which could be served with fewer routes. For instance, there were multiple desire lines which overlapped or had the same origin and a similar destination and could therefore be represented with one cycling route. Overall, 23 cycling routes were identified.

The next stage of the LCWIP was to audit the proposed routes. The routes underwent a high-level prioritisation exercise to identify the 9 routes to be audited due to scope and budget constraints. These were then presented to councillors for their approval for consultation. 

Walking 

Walking zones around clusters of major trip attractors such as schools, rail stations, retail centres, hospitals etc were mapped. Key walking routes were identified within the 2km area surrounding the walking zone. A walking zone consists of a 400m (~5 min walk) Core Walking Zone (CWZ) with an additional 2km area around it. Overall, 12 walking zones were identified which were subsequently scored against multiple criteria, with the highest scoring walking zones being taken forward for route selection. 

During walking routes identification, the focus was on filling network gaps and providing key walking routes in rural towns. Given the significant existing/ proposed network of walking routes within Maidstone Town Centre, the walking zones there were not taken forward for route selection. Overall, 9 walking routes were identified.

Improvements were identified for 3 cycling routes and 3 walking routes. The proposed cycling and walking routes were then audited to better understand network conditions, barriers, and opportunities for improvement. The outcomes of these audits informed the proposed routes presented in this public engagement exercise.

Stakeholders were invited to share their thoughts and feedback on the proposed cycling and walking routes. The routes were adjusted following this engagement. 

In this stage we are looking to get feedback on the proposed cycling and walking routes. This will ensure that the proposals that are put forward in the LCWIP reflect the interests and knowledge of local people. 

This LCWIP responds to and helps to deliver several government strategies and duties and forms part of MBC’s wider plans and ambitions for creating and improving active travel routes. These are summarised below: 

Government strategies 

• The Second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy outlines the government’s ambition to make walking and cycling the natural choices for shorter journeys by 2030. It aims to: double cycling, increase walking activity and increase the percentage of children that usually walk to school.
• Gear Change: a bold vision for cycling and walking describes the vision to make England a great walking and cycling nation. One of its aims is for half of all journeys in towns and cities being cycled or walked by 2030.
• The Transport Decarbonisation Plan sets out the government’s commitments and the actions needed to decarbonize the entire transport system in the UK. The first strategic priority it sets is “Accelerating modal shift to public and active transport [making them] the natural first choice for our daily activities”.
• The Local Transport Note 1/20 (LTN 1/20) for cycle infrastructure design establishes five design principles for active travel networks and their routes: cohesion, directness, safety, comfort, attractiveness.
• Inclusive Mobility is the government’s guide to best practice on improving access to public transport and creating a barrier-free pedestrian environment. Creating and maintaining accessible public realm is crucial for ensuring that disabled people are not excluded from playing a full role in society.

Links to these documents can be found below: 

• The Second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy
• Gear Change: a bold vision for cycling and walking
• The Transport Decarbonisation Plan
• Cycle Infrastructure Design (LTN 1/20)
• Inclusive Mobility

Kent County Council strategies

• Outcome 5 in Kent’s adopted Local Transport Plan 4, Delivering growth without gridlock is to “Provide and promote active travel choices for all members of the community to encourage good health and wellbeing and implement measures to improve local air quality.”
• The draft emerging Local Transport Plan 5 is proposing a policy objective which incorporates active travel – Policy Outcome 9A: “We will aim to deliver walking and cycling improvements at prioritised locations in Kent to deliver increased levels of activity towards the Active Travel England target and support Kent’s diverse economy, presented in a Kent Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.”
• The draft Kent Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (KCWIP) provides a county-wide strategic plan for walking and cycling. It proposes long, medium and short-term high-level improvements to meet current walking, wheeling, and cycling demand and serve future demand. The proposed routes in the KCWIP have been considered as part of the development of this District-level LCWIP.

Links to these documents can be found below: 

• Kent Local Transport Plan 4 
• Emerging Kent Local Transport Plan 5 
• Kent Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan

Maidstone Borough Council strategies

• This LCWIP aligns with Maidstone Borough Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS) 2011 – 2031. The ITS assesses the principle existing and future challenges which affect the transport network, as well as outlining a vision and objectives of the network. Additionally, the ITS identifies a detailed programme of interventions which align with the interventions set out in the Maidstone Local Plan Review.
• The LCWIP works in unison with the Maidstone Cycling and Walking Strategy 2011-31. It seeks fill the gaps that this plan has left, and this was part of the route selection process.
• This LCWIP integrates with the MBC Local Plan Review, which was adopted in March 2024. The Local Plan Review outlines policies and plans to guide future development up to 2038, of which active transport infrastructure is key to unlocking. The Local Plan Review forms part of the overall Development Plan for the Borough. Development Plans, which include adopted Local and Neighbourhood Development Plans are crucial in the decision-making process around developments and land use.

Links to these documents can be found below: 

• Maidstone Integrated Transport Strategy 2011-2031 
• Maidstone Cycling and Walking Strategy 2011-2031 
• Maidstone Local Plan Review 2021-2038

These strategies have feed into the analysis and development of the LCWIP, so as the document does not repeat any existing plans and projects.

The budget to fund the development of the LCWIP has come from Active Travel England’s Capability Fund, a revenue grant which enables Local Transport Authorities to promote walking, wheeling and cycling by developing infrastructure plans, including drawing up bids for capital funding that are compliant with the Local Transport Note 1/20 as well as carrying out behaviour change activities such as training and promotion.

There is currently no identified budget for each of the priority schemes presented in this consultation. Applications for funding will be made as opportunities arise either through Active Travel England or other suitable funding streams.

Active Travel England has said that authorities with a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan are better placed to secure future funding.

The focus of this LCWIP is to provide connections into and within Maidstone Urban Area, as well as plugging gaps in the existing and proposed networks. A dense network of cycling routes was proposed across the Borough, however it is unfeasible due to resources available and the timescales for delivering on the proposed routes to take all these forwards to the next stage of the LCWIP. The LCWIP is a live, 10-year document, which will be updated in line with progress made towards the aims and objectives of the LCWIP, and if appropriate, we will consider the inclusion of any lower scoring cycle routes/ walking zones in future versions of the LCWIP. Those routes categorised as ‘secondary’, or ‘tertiary’ remain possible routes for investigation in the future.

No. The LCWIP seeks to complement the work and routes already identified in the Maidstone Walking & Cycling Strategy 2011-2031. 

These routes and plans will be maintained and supported. Part of the process for the development of the LCWIP is to place routes where there are gaps in the planned and existing network.