Grand Western Greenway connecting communities

For many people, the proposed Grand Western Greenway may sound like a leisure project. In reality, it’s something much more important: a safe and practical inter-urban route connecting Wellington, Taunton and surrounding communities.

Using the historic canal and railway corridor, the Greenway would link homes with schools, workplaces, healthcare, rail services and local amenities. Communities including Wellington, Norton Fitzwarren, Bradford-on-Tone, Nynehead and Oake would gain a realistic alternative to short car journeys, helping reduce congestion while encouraging healthier and lower-carbon travel.

What makes the Greenway particularly valuable is its accessibility. A sealed, largely traffic-free surface would make it easier for:

• wheelchair users,
• mobility scooter users,
• families with children,
• less confident cyclists, and
• people who are often excluded from busy roads.

Public support has been striking. Engagement work by Grand Western Greenway CIC, the community interest company behind the project, shows that people increasingly see routes like this not simply as places to walk for leisure, but as everyday transport infrastructure connecting communities safely and sustainably.

As Somerset continues to grow, projects such as the Grand Western Greenway offer an opportunity to think differently about transport. Rather than treating active travel as only an urban issue, we should recognise the value of connecting neighbouring towns and villages with attractive, practical and environmentally responsible routes.

The Greenway is about reconnecting communities. It would create healthier, greener and more resilient links between the places where people live, work and travel every day.

Have your say

An online consultation has already received more than 200 responses in 14 days. Have your say by completing Grand Western Greenway CIC’s Travel and Use Survey.