This week the Norton Action Group for Cycling and Walking have received their first cheque since the group came into existence. The group was founded to take part in the Sustrans Connect2 project to compete for a single multi-million pound grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Living Landmarks: The People’s Millions Competition. The Group is one of 97 nationwide projects. Although the Group’s initial aim was to get a cycle/walk path from Radstock to Midsomer Norton along the old Railway it now has further aims to promote cycling, walking and running in the Norton Radstock area.

The Norton Radstock Town Council recognised this work with an initial grant of £ 500 to start of the group who will now look at all other funding options and to start promoting cycling and walking as sustainable means of transport and healthy exercise.

The Norton Radstock Greenway has been in existence some years now and gets well used, but it has its limitations in as much as it doesn’t connect the very important centres of Radstock and Midsomer Norton. The ready made solution in the form of the old Somerset and Dorset Railway is just waiting to be used. The Railway could at a relative low cost be converted to the Norton Hill Greenway and connect the two centres as well as Norton Hill School, the Sports Centre, Westfield with Radstock, Welton and Paulton.

The Connect2 project of which this is a reserve scheme is now reaching a crucial stage as, this December, the Big Lottery Fund’s Living Landmarks competition will go to a television vote on ITV to let the public decide where the funding goes. The Action Group will be playing an active part in securing the votes in the Norton Radstock area.

The Action Group is in an advanced stage to draw up the plans for this new Greenway and is in consultation with user groups and other interested groups such as the Bath and North-East Somerset Council, the Norton Radstock Town Council, Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust, Norton Hill School and the Somer Valley Partnership. The aim is to apply for planning permission by the end of the year.

The Group welcomes any feedback and comments on its plans and further information can be found on www.NRGy.org.uk and www.sustransconnect2.org.uk