Making It Happen
Community and organisation support
SAPI has received widespread support for The Culzean Way proposal from many active travel & community organisations etc.
We have also presented our ambition to councillors, MSPs, MPs, community councils, some landowners - so far the concept has gone down well.
Active travel funding
Active travel projects are often funded externally by the Scottish Government, with minimal costs to the council. Significant external funds are available to the council, but they need to apply for them otherwise the money goes to other council areas to improve their active travel network.
The Scottish Government budget for active travel projects is about £100 million annually. Much of this budget is allocated to Transport Scotland's active travel delivery partners (Sustrans, Cycling Scotland, Paths for All and others) who work across Scotland to deliver projects that will get more people walking and cycling. They in turn distribute much of this funding to local authorities, community groups, third sector groups and others.
The Ayrshire Roads Alliance (ARA), delivers shared council roads and transportation services to communities across South and East Ayrshire. This includes responsibility for footpaths and cycleways.
Any new developments, like The Culzean Way (TCW), need approval from elected councillors at South Ayrshire Council (SAC).
South Ayrshire Paths Initiative have been gathering community and political support, including making the case for TCW to South Ayrshire Council.
We hope that SAC will agree to the concept and direct ARA to proceed with the first step - produce a feasibility study.
We are also encouraging the council to include The Culzean Way into the upcoming South Ayrshire Active Travel Strategy document, which will describe active travel improvement plans, probably for the next 10 years. This will ensure the project continues to be developed even if there is a change of leadership in the council.
One section at a time
The Culzean Way will be developed in stages over multiple years.
A project of this nature is long term due to the distance covered and the many landowners involved.
The stunning scenery also means a complex terrain, hence the desire to use the old railway track.
We can do it with your support
Such a large project needs ongoing public support. The elected representatives for the area (councillors, MSPs and MPs), as well as potential funders (Transport Scotland, Sustrans etc.) will be asking a lot of questions before giving the go ahead and financial backing for such a large and long term project. They will want to know if the project is feasible, the potential benefits, the estimated cost and most importantly do people want it to happen.
This is where you come in - see below.