Extension to Milford

Three options have been considered for this section:

• New Way/Halfway Lane/Eashing Lane/Chapel Lane
• New Way/Aarons Hill/Franklyn Road/open fields
• Alongside the A3100, Portsmouth Road

We feel that the A3100, Portsmouth Road route is the easiest and preferred.

The alternatives offer some off-road stretches but include a very steep ascent. The first alternative requires the negotiation of a narrow country lane, which can be busy at times, and the second would depend on significant cooperation from local landowners. It was not possible to find a viable route through the Ock valley.

The proposed route uses a shared-use, road-side path alongside the Portsmouth Road. At the northern end, it follows the western side of the road then crosses to the eastern side at the junction with Cliffe Road. In the south, the western side has a wide verge and is relatively uninterrupted by side roads and property access. An additional advantage of adopting the western side is that it connects better with shops and pubs and puts the path on the right side of the road to continue (as an extension of the route) to Milford Station and Rodborough School.