Greenway Cycleway
A group of volunteers currently chaired by Joan Foster (Hunston
resident) has been working over many years to establish a cycleway
from Selsey to Chichester, along the east side of the Manhood
Peninsula.
Town and Parish Councillors from Selsey, Sidlesham and Hunston are
members of the group.
A route is now in place from Selsey to the RSPB Pagham Harbour
Nature Reserve. Work continues for the middle section through
Sidlesham.
The focus now is the route from Hunston to the A27 footbridge.
This route will follow the existing public footpath and then branch right around Chichester Free School to join the new footpath to the School from the A27.
Why do we need this?
Because it is unsafe to walk or bicycle up the B2145 from the North Mundham roundabout. There is no pavement, the road is very busy and a bus route. You can cycle to the Canal Basin to the west of Chichester, but there is no route to the east.
60 families living in Hunston and Sidlesham currently have children attending Chichester Free School (CFS) – the only safe way to get there is by car or bus. CFS experiences a high level of traffic on site, which this would reduce, improving safety and giving huge environmental benefits. Walking and cycling, where possible, is healthier for us and the environment, and the proposed route will also be accessible for wheelchairs and buggies.
Where we are now:
Converting a public footpath to a definitive bridleway (allowing cyclists and equestrians) requires the permission of landowners. There are three fields along the route to the school. We have outline permission from two of them and are waiting to hear from the third who own the middle field.
What would happen then?
We are working closely with the Public Rights of Way Officers in West Sussex County Council. If we gain permissions for the route, they will take this forward and apply for funding from the Council to build the bridleway.
What do we need?
Support from the public, all those who could use the new route and those who believe that anything that helps create safer and more sustainable travel is of great benefit.
Please fill in our simple yes/no questionnaire
Click here for questionnaire -> Questionnaire
This will close on 31 July 2025
10 thoughts on “Greenway Cycleway”
This route is and will be a safety net as the roads are so dangerous as amount of vehicles on the road. Especially for families wanting to visit selsey etc. and those who work in other areas.
Safety must come first
Essential for safe walking and cycling access to free school from Hunston ,Birdham and Nirth Mundham
Just a query. When I worked at Cosham, the paths in the vicinity of my workplace were shared between pedestrians and cyclists. There are footpaths along a large part of B2145 that are not used very much by pedestrians. So many cyclists prefer to travel along the main road, is it not worth considering making the footpaths shared and utilised also as cycle paths as currently done in areas of Portsmouth. Even if it was only possible for some parts, it would ease the frustration of drivers, which surely makes them less considerate of cyclists. Don’t they do something similar on the old A27?
Thanks for your comment, this path will be shared between cyclists and pedestrians. It will be three metres wide, and we hope everyone will be considerate of each other. This is what we also plan to do over the Sidlesham section.
I walk this way very often and have always wondered why it has not been upgraded to a cycle way it must be a safer route than the road and it only needs a bit of work to open it up mainly in the section from the A27 bridge to behind the free school where the path needs for the trees and bushes to be cut back and the path made a bit wider so clear of overhanging branches
Please please – give everyone including all the school children an option to walk or cycle to school . It sure is gridlock at the school gates
It seems to me that the current plan, while laudable, does not go far enough.You show the existing cycle provision as extending from the bridge into Hunston. As far as I am aware it does not and is only a regular footpath, certainly there are no signs to indicate shared use. Anyway to use that path you have to cross the main road at a very busy and dangerous place. Surely it would make sense to follow the tow path as far as the old Tramway bridge and then the route of the old Tramway down to the main road adjacent to the new development. That would link both the new development and the rest of Hunston both with the School and Chichester. I would expect the new housing to provide many of the future pupils for the school and so the plan needs to be forward looking enough to cater for that.
You are right, that in an error in our map! Thanks for spotting, I will update when possible.
It sounds like there is a lot of people wanting better cycle connections through the village. I think this group would support that. Supporting this stretch will also strengthen the case for the link. More cycle paths is rarely a bad thing 🙂
I have a grandson at the Free School and the emissions from queuing cars at pick up times is awful. I have always wondered why there is no connecting path to school and beyond. The walk (or cycle) is good for the body, mind and soul…plus children would perhaps learn about the nature around us and how very important it is. Hopefully they would respect it and take their litter home too.
100% cant respect it if you cannot connect with it