Littlebourne to Canterbury city centre

About the project

Demand for pedestrian and cycle routes from residential areas to access the city centre, schools and colleges, as well as local and high street shops, will be increasing over time with the progression of new housing in the area.

Our aim was to create a safer and direct route for cycling from the east of Canterbury into the city centre.

This scheme was funded from the £6.1m Active Travel Fund (Tranche2) provided by Active Travel England. It underwent a full consultation process before construction started. Find out more about the consultation.

This project started on 2 May 2023 and is now complete.

What we improved

The project included separated cycle tracks for part of the route along Monastery Street and a stepped cycle path on Longport. For the narrower streets, such as Burgate and Church Street, cyclists are on the road.

There are additional pedestrian crossing points along Longport near St Augustine’s Roundabout and Littlebourne Road outside St Martin’s Hospital.

The project also included:

• kerb and tabletop ramp alterations at the Burgate junction with Lower Bridge Street
• toucan crossing amendments for a straight over crossing on Lower Bridge Street
• tabletop ramps installed on Monastery Street.
• a new cycle track and reorientation (turned parallel) of the parking along Longport outside St Augustine’s Abbey (creating an overall reduction of 8 parking bays)
• reorientation of the two disabled parking bays along Longport outside St Augustine’s Abbey
• extending the double yellow lines outside Longport House in order to provide sufficient HGV passing place (15 metre total length)
• segregated cycle track and pedestrian footway outside Barton Court to remove the bus lane and on street parking bays east of St Augustine’s Roundabout (creating an overall loss of 3 parking bays)
• removal of the bus lane along facilities on Longport and Lower Chantry Lane for improved pedestrian facilities at the junction
• enhancements to the pedestrian crossing  around St Augustine’s roundabout
• a new tabletop ramp at the junction with Longport and North Holmes Road
• a new 20mph zone on Longport to Lower Chantry Lane and up to Lady Wootton's Green.

Project documents

Project plans

• Plan of entire project (PDF, 1.3 MB)
• Project plan 1 - Lower Bridge Street, Church Street (St Pauls) and Longport (PDF, 292.5 KB)
• Project plan 2 - Longport including Lower Chantry Lane (PDF, 293.6 KB)
• Project plan 3 - Longport (PDF, 264.7 KB)
• Project plan 4 - Longport including St Martin's Hill (PDF, 246.1 KB)
• Project plan - 20mph Zone (PDF, 381.3 KB)

Start of works notices

• Proposed cycle route in Longport (PDF, 611.5 KB)
• Proposed road closure in Burgate (PDF, 452.2 KB)
• Proposed toucan crossing modification in Lower Bridge Street, Canterbury (PDF, 151.3 KB)

Email activetravel@kent.gov.uk to contact us or for further information about this project.