AN award of £50,000 to the Morecambe Bay Partnership will cost and explore the opportunities of a walking and cycling route being created alongside Arnside viaduct.

Twenty-five projects have been announced as winners of a cash injection from the Government’s Coastal Revival Fund.

A community group called Arnside to Grange (AToG) has been working with the partnership and others to explore whether it would be viable to extend a foot/cycle bridge from the promenade across the viaduct, forming a link in a long-distance coastal route from Morecambe to Barrow.

Susannah Bleakley, chief executive of the Morecambe Bay Partnership, said: “We are excited to be leading this project, working closely with the local Arnside to Grange community group, investigating whether or not it’s possible to cross the Bay on foot and by bike using Arnside viaduct.

"We will be exploring where the route could go, if it’s worth the investment and whether there would be more positives than negatives. If the studies show it’s a good investment we’ll have everything we need to fundraise to build the route.”

The connection will create a vital link in the English Coastal Path, and offer a new route for the Bay Cycle Way creating a new circular route starting from either Grange or Arnside stations.

At 2,800 miles, the England Coast Path will be the longest managed and waymarked coastal path in the world when it opens fully in 2022.

The present plans are for the coastal path to have a halt between Grange and Arnside with the railway forming the link. The footway link could plug that gap.

Evidence from other long distance cycling and walking routes suggest that more walkers and cyclists could bring a very significant boost to the local economy.

“We need to know how much the crossing would cost, what the challenges are, and what the additional benefits would be in terms of visitor spend," said Ms Bleakley. "Take a scenario where the cost of the crossing is estimated at £3m, and the increase in spend from cyclists and walkers is estimated at over £0.5m annually.

"In this case, the crossing looks like a reasonable investment and it may be possible to make this case to attract the finance. Until we do further studies we really don’t know – these are just educated guesses.”

In 2011 a survey in Arnside showed that 80 per cent of people were in favour of the idea and 100 per cent of school children.

The award will mean that studies can be done – studies critical to find out if the bridge and route should go ahead, to find out how much it will cost, what benefits and challenges it will bring and how it should be designed to help manage visitors.

Several studies will be carried out over the winter. Network Rail has also supported initial feasibility and will work with the partnership and other partners to evaluate and test the route, economic impact and costs.

Partners include: Morecambe Bay Partnership, Arnside to Grange Community Group, Arnside & Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, South Lakeland District Council, Cumbria County Council, Lake District National Park, Natural England, Sustrans, Cumbria Rail Partnership, Dallam Estate, Holker Estate.

Find out more https://www.morecambebay.org.uk/coastal-community-team-morecambe-bay