Back in 2022 Groundswell Innovation canvassed Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University, on their priorities for local development. There was consensus that the theme of encouraging and enabling active travel between Lancaster and Morecambe was one worth exploring further.
In 2023, the Greenway i-Connect place-based innovation project was born.
We are one of the volunteer partners in this project – including Lancaster University’s Academic team, Sustrans, Dynamo cycling, Radics Consulting, and Morecambe Bay Partnership – looking at sustainable travel options that we know are a priority for our local community.
The Lancaster Greenway cycle and walking track is the primary active travel route linking Lancaster and Morecambe but suffers from under-investment. The current level of disrepair, litter and anti-social behaviour makes it an undesirable travel route for most locals, let alone an option to promote to visitors. With Eden Project North coming to Morecambe (opening is planned for 2026), all eyes will soon be on the Northwest coast.
As a volunteer team of local residents with a passion for Morecambe and Lancaster regeneration, our Greenway Connect group has been working on nurturing this stranded local asset and bringing it up to its full, manageable potential.
Our work has involved various strands of activity including:
- Volunteer litter picks at the Greenway
- Collaborative examination of user needs
- A creative idea development session with Lancaster University post-grad students
- Development of a cyclist & walking counter to collect base data on users and usage
- Development of proposals for a cycle hub, with bids submitted for funding
It is our aim that this physical hub would also act as a catalyst for volunteer and upskilling opportunities relating to civic pride, sustainability skills, engineering, mechanics, STEM learning and urban re-greening.
Our next priority is to help secure necessary funding for the project, ensuring we can continue with the progress made over the past 18 months.
