This policy seeks to encourage safe, accessible and convenient means of walking, wheeling and cycling through the Town and improve access to and frequency of bus services accessing the Town Centre and from the surrounding residential area.

The Policies Map shows the full extent of the existing active travel network, including bus and rail routes, walking and cycling routes, the Leighton Linslade Green Wheel and public rights of way, which allows applicants to determine if their proposals should take this policy into account. Where proposals include provision for landscaping, new means of access or new layouts, there may be an opportunity to relate the land better to the Network and/or improve the attractiveness of rural routes. At the very least, the policy requires that proposals that will undermine the existing value of the Network will not be supported.

The opportunities for upgrading existing active travel routes to improve accessibility and other opportunity measures have been identified through early informal community engagement, from the recently published Leighton Linslade Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (2023) and from work undertaken by Buzz Cycles to identify opportunities to improve permeability across the east of the town, as well as routes identified from the Wider Town Centre Spatial Masterplan, including an east/west bridge over the Grand Union Canal, to connect Linslade to Leighton Buzzard Town Centre.

It is noted that the Green Wheel opportunity routes are indicative. There should be a measure of flexibility where development proposals include land where the Green Wheel seeks to pass through, so the exact route can be determined during masterplanning to maximise accessibility without unnecessarily constraining site layout.

In respect of Clause D, Section 7.6 of the CBC Design Guide sets out public transport design principles and should be reviewed by applicants seeking to demonstrate appropriate provision.