Copdock to Capel St Mary walking, wheeling and cycling route
Have Your Say
Suffolk County Council is asking for your views on improvements we’re planning to make to a walking and cycling route between Copdock and Capel St Mary. This route is around 3.5 miles and starts at Whights Corner on London Road in Copdock and finishes at the junction of The Street and Cedar’s Lane in Capel St Mary.
The improvement we're proposing aim to:
- Give you more options to walk, cycle or wheel for local journeys
- Make it easier and safer for you to walk and cycle by providing more space, upgrading crossings and creating safer junctions
- Improve air quality and reduce noise pollution for local residents
- Make the roads less busy for those who have to use them
Why has this route been chosen?
In 2023 we asked local residents for their thoughts on improving the route. You told us that you were concerned about high traffic speeds and suggested creating a segregated cycle path as well as widening the footway to provide more space for cyclists and pedestrians. A segregated cycle path is a path which is separated from the road using raised kerbs, bollards or road markings and is for use solely by cyclists.
London Road has plenty of space to improve the existing walking and cycling paths. The improvements will create a better link between Copdock and Capel St Mary and will help to reduce vehicle speeds along the Street in Capel St Mary. Finally, the planned improvements will connect into the cycle route to and from the Ipswich Park and Ride service.
Please tell us what you think
We have drawn up designs for the walking and cycling improvements and we’re holding a consultation so that you can give us your feedback. The consultation closes on the 20 th December. You can have your say by filling in a survey using the link at the bottom of this page.
Once the consultation has closed, we will consider your feedback and finalise the designs. Then, we will need to put together a funding plan in order to start the build stage and we will keep you updated as to when this might be.
A summary report of the consultation will be published in early spring 2025 which will be available to download from the Way To Go website
If you have any questions or would like a printed copy of the survey posted to you please contact customer.services@suffolk.gov.uk or call us on 0345 603 1842
Community Events
We will be holding a community event to give you the opportunity to discuss the proposals with us and give feedback in person:
- Friday 6th December, 2.30 - 6.45pm, Copdock village hall, IP8 3JN
Thank you for taking part in our consultation – we look forward to hearing your views.
The Route
Our vision is to make better use of the existing road space on London Road past Copdock and to create a space that allows people not only to drive, but also to walk and cycle safely. This will also mean that those living along the route will benefit from a quieter environment and with increased transport choices. Access to private driveways and existing roads will be retained and in addition, both left and right turn movements onto the road will now be possible. Within Capel, the proposals should help to reduce vehicle speeds and make it safer to walk and cycle.
You can scroll through the route on the interactive map below, or click on the 'Map' tab above to go straight to a static map of the route. The interactive map can be zoomed in and out by using the controls in the bottom right.
Glossary of Terms
Some technical terms are used to describe the proposals. Their meanings are here:
- Segregated cycle track: a path which is separated from the road using raised kerbs, bollards or road markings and is for use solely by cyclists
- Shared use path: a path of at least 3 metres wide that people can both walk and cycle on
01 / 12
1
Whight's Corner
Convert to a signal junction and install a new signalised crossing at the junction for pedestrians and cyclists
2
London Road segregated cycling
Change one side of the dual carriageway (the northside) into a segregated path for walking and cycling use only. Access to private driveways and side roads will not be affected.
3
Copdock village hall crossing
Put a new signalised crossing outside Copdock village hall to make it safer to cross the road.
4
Roman Road shared use
Create a new shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists. Narrow the road just after the layby on Roman Road to slow vehicles down. Existing vehicle movements on the road will be retained.
5
Copdock to Capel St Mary link
The section of the route between the end of Roman Road and London Road, Capel is in private ownership and so we are still working out how we can create a safe route for pedestrians and cyclists here
6
London Road, Capel
Existing on road cycling provision
7
London Road, Capel
Existing shared use path.
8
The Street, Capel village entrance
Add a parallel crossing for pedestrians and cyclists and traffic calming measures to slow traffic coming off the A12 entering Capel village.
9
Thorney Road zebra crossing
Install a new zebra crossing just before the junction of Thorney Road. Remove the layby near Thorney Road to give space for the crossing and convert to a wider pavement with driveway access retained
10
Rembrow Road crossing
New zebra crossing over Rembrow Road
11
Crossing at Capel St Mary shops
Install a new zebra crossing outside Capel St Mary shops
12
Capel St Mary side road crossings
Create crossings across the side roads along The Street to make them easier for cyclists and pedestrians to cross.
Map
Route Visuals
The following route visuals have been prepared to give an idea of what some parts of the proposals could look like. The exact details of each intervention will be determined after the consultation, depending on the feedback we receive and what funding is available to deliver the changes.
London Road
Change one side of the dual carriageway (the northside) into a segregated path for walking and cycling use only. Access to private driveways and side roads will not be affected.
Elm Lane
New signal crossing and footway over London Road just past Elm Lane to access village hall. Add a continuous crossing with a raised table for the segregated cycle path over Elm Lane.
The Street, Capel
Add a parallel crossing for pedestrians and cyclists and traffic calming measures to slow traffic coming off the A12 entering Capel village.
Survey
Please tell us what you think about our plans to improve walking and cycling along the Copdock to Capel St Mary route by taking part in our survey .
