Creating safe and easy access

Published: 10:42 AM November 12, 2010 Updated: 6:34 PM November 7, 2020

SIR - Re: The Connaught Walkway

Whilst it is the privilege of anyone to object to this project, it is important to recognise its specific limited objective. Unfortunately, your correspondent Mr Taylor seems to have misunderstood both the purpose and scope of the Connaught Walkway, which is to create a simple, safe and easy direct access into the Connaught Gardens from the Manor Road car park by means of a footbridge, sensitively designed to merge into the existing attractive, rural, surroundings.

This footbridge was never intended to form part of the South West Coastal Path, but will provide a much-needed local facility for those with mobility problems - the elderly, the infirm, families with small children, also those in wheelchairs and “buggies”.

This will be of special benefit not only for all Sidmouth’s residents and visitors, particularly the elderly and handicapped people, who have difficulty negotiating the hazardous steps, both up and down, in reaching the Connaught Gardens - our “Jewel of the Jurassic Coast”.

In 2007, we firmly rejected the proposal of a Zebra Crossing in Peak Hill Road since it would not meet this Group’s fundamental objective of separating people from traffic.

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Furthermore, the County Council advised that they had no intention of providing such a crossing at that point.

We will pursue energetically our objective to provide a simple footbridge from the car park into the Connaught Gardens that will blend in perfectly with the surrounding scenic background and will ensure, for all our residents and visitors, an enduring facility for many generations to come.