The SPOKES committee has been busy over the last few months, submitting bids and liaising with various interested parties to work towards our goal of upgrading the worst sections of National Cycle Network Route 4 (NCN4) along the Kennet & Avon Canal towpath between Thatcham and Reading.

The project involves complete reconstruction of a 1.1km section of NCN4 to the east of Colthrop. The original crushed aggregate path had a design life of around 12 years, but nearly 20 years on, it has deteriorated considerably, with grass encroaching to such an extent that the path is now almost unusable by cyclists and wheelchairs. Originally 1.5 – 2m wide, it is now less than 0.3m in places.

The cost of restoring this short section has been estimated at £219,000. At the beginning of March, we submitted a bid to the Good Exchange, which matches the grant makers and donors that have money to give, with the charities and community groups that need money. We were subsequently delighted to learn that we had been successful in securing a match-funding offer from Greenham Common Trust up to the value of £50,000, which can be matched by individual donations and external funding.

Since this is one of our top priorities, the SPOKES committee has elected to put almost all of its funding towards the project, allocating £10,000. Also, Sustrans has recently indicated that it can put £100,000 towards cycling projects in Newbury and Thatcham. Although it cannot directly fund the towpath improvements, it would potentially allow West Berkshire Council to allocate funds from the A4 cycle route to the towpath, which it helps maintain as a public right of way.

The final element of the funding jigsaw is a £59,000 bid to the Veolia Environmental Trust, which awards Landfill Tax Grant to eligible community projects. The bid has successfully passed Stage 1, and we will find out if we have been successful in June. If all goes according to plan, then we hope that construction can start in the autumn.

In the meantime, we will continue to seek additional funding with the aim of maximising the length of towpath that can be upgraded. If you would like to donate money to the project, then we would be most grateful. To do this, please visit the Kennet & Avon Towpath page on the Good Exchange website.