People are being invited to comment on proposals for improved pedestrian and cyclist provisions along Burley Road in Oakham.

Rutland County Council has been successful in securing just over £36,000 of grant funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) to help enhance walking and cycling provisions in the county.

The Council is considering using the funding to create a shared cycleway and footway along the length of Burley Road, between the Oakham bypass (Burley Park Way) and Cutts Close Park.

The proposals involve increasing the width of the pavement that runs along the north side of Burley Road to create a three-metre-wide shared space with markings for both pedestrians and cyclists.

Some road signs and street furniture would be moved to accommodate the changes. The plans also propose the removal of a layby close to Burley Road bus stop, to create one continuous unbroken route.

Rutland County Council is now inviting feedback on these proposals as part of a four-week consultation that runs from Monday 14 June to midnight on Sunday 11 July.

The consultation is open to all Rutland residents, businesses and organisations, as well as visitors to the county.

Further information, including illustrative plans for the scheme, can be viewed online at: www.rutland.gov.uk/burleyroad.

Copies of the plans are also available to view at Oakham library.

Coun Lucy Stephenson, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Rutland County Council, said: "The improvements that are being proposed along Burley Road are fairly minor, as we're really talking about widening and upgrading an existing footway.

"However, the benefits could be enormous in terms of encouraging more people to walk and cycle. It could be a real asset for the two nearby schools, as well as helping to connect the bypass – which is already a shared pedestrian-cycle route – with the centre of Oakham."

Coun Stephenson added: "Findings from the recent Future Rutland Conversation are still being reviewed. However, it's already clear that protecting the environment and encouraging sustainable travel, like cycling, are really important to local residents, so I hope lots of people will want to see and comment on this particular scheme."

Anyone who would like more information about this consultation can email: [email protected]. If you have any questions or would like to take part but do not have access to the internet, please call or call: 01572 722 577.

Feedback received through the consultation will be reviewed before any final decision is made about the scheme. If approved, detailed designs incorporating any alterations resulting from the consultation will be produced.