Barnby to Carlton Colville has been selected by Suffolk County Council for a new rural quietway route. The project is being delivered by Walk Wheel Cycle Trust in partnership with Suffolk County Council.
Quietways allow people who use them to avoid heavy traffic. Credit: John Bewley
What is the Barnby to Carlton Colville Quietway?
The Barnby to Carlton Colville Quietway is being designed in collaboration with the local community.
There will be a three-stage community engagement process to enable local residents and other stakeholders to take part in the design process.
Community engagement events will be held locally to discuss ideas for the Quietway and ensure the final design proposal responds to local priorities.
Section of National Cycle Network Route 517
Co-discover phase: December 2025 - February 2026
Between December 2025 and February 2026, the project team held online and in-person events with local councillors, stakeholders and members of the public. This co-discover phase gave us an opportunity to develop a clear understanding of local issues and opportunities.
Engagement activities during this phase included two community drop-in events. At these events, the project team met and spoke with local residents and heard their views, ideas and suggestions about the proposed quietway.
This stage was focused on understanding local experiences of the road network between Barnby and Carlton Colville, and learning more about what could be improved – with local people at the heart of the conversation.
The following documents shows the comments received from local residents at the engagement events held in January 2026. Click the links below to view each plan:
Proposed designs are presented at co-design workshops. Credit: Michael Kelly
Co-design phase: March - June 2026
After the co-discover phase, initial design work began. Community feedback was incorporated into designs, with designs addressing issues raised by local residents.
The principal design intervention for the quietway proposes using an alternative road surface colour to differentiate the route from the wider rural road network.
The proposal responds to the available width along each section of the route. Where the carriageway is too narrow for a vehicle to safely pass a pedestrian, cyclist, or equestrian, vehicles travelling in the same direction will be obliged to travel at the same speed as the other road user until reaching a safe passing place.
In some locations along the route, a coloured strip is proposed to be painted along each side of the carriageway to indicate that overtaking is unsafe and not permitted. Where the carriageway is wide enough to safely accommodate bi-directional travel, a median strip is proposed.
Additional proposed design interventions include:
· New gateway features at either end of the quietway
· Carriageway surface artwork designed by local primary school pupils at each intersection along the quietway
· Junction tightening to reduce vehicle speeds and improve visibility and user interaction
· Pavement build-out to reduce vehicle speeds
· Mounting blocks for equestrians
· New benches and shelter for pedestrians to rest
· Reduced speed limit to advisory 20 mph
· Improved and extended passing places
· Improved dropped kerbs
The following design drawings illustrate the proposed quietway design. Please note the design is a work-in-progress and subject to change based on further consultation. Click the links to view the different design drawings:
Sheet A
Sheet B
Sheet C
Street art locations
Quietway layout and traffic calming options
Test phase: July - September 2026
The test phase includes further design development and a design showcase event, where the final proposed design will be presented to the local community.
Ongoing design development will be informed by the feedback received during the co-design phase. This ensures the final design responds to the needs of the local community.
After the test phase, the quietway design will be finalised in Autumn 2026 and implemented in 2027.
Once implemented, the scheme will be monitored to understand it’s impact on vehicle speeds and volumes, road safety, user interaction and transport mode shift. The local community will be kept informed on the outcome of future monitoring.
At the end of the test phase, there will be another round of community engagement events so that local residents can see the proposed final designs.
In the meantime, if you have any comments or questions about the scheme, please email transport.schemes@suffolk.gov.uk or eastquietways@walkwheelcycletrust.org.uk
This is a partnership project between Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and Suffolk County Council.
