BCC agreed this week to sign a ‘memorandum of understanding’ with Sustrans on the North Birmingham Walking and Cycle Route.  This will unlock £650,000 of Lottery grant funding and enable work to start on the £2.654m route, which will run from Pype Hayes to Sutton Park. Connecting links will join up Castle Vale, Walmley, Good Hope Hospital and Falcon Lodge.

Good to see some of what is known as the ‘People’s Millions’ being spent in Birmingham.

The money will be spent on traffic calming, road crossings and public art – the design of which, it seems, will involve local schools. Sustrans are very keen on a branded ‘Portrait Bench’, to link their schemes across the UK. Hopefully this won’t be too perscriptive, and schools will get the opportunity to play a meaningful role in the project.