Work to start on second phase of Darlington Woodland Road cycle route

Darlington Borough Council said construction on the second phase of improvements along Woodland Road would start next week (August 3), with the project expected to take until November 2027 to complete.

The scheme forms part of wider plans to create a continuous walking and cycling route linking West Park and Faverdale with the town centre through the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s local cycling and walking infrastructure plan.

The junction of Woodland Road, Staindrop Road and Carmel Road North in Darlington. (Image: Chris Booth)

Council officers had previously said in August 2025 that work on the second phase would begin later that year.

The latest stage will extend the cycle route from the Hollyhurst Road junction to Deneside Road, near Tennis Dene, and introduce new priority crossings on side roads to improve safety and visibility for pedestrians. 

Construction will begin at Dene Grove and be carried out in phases to reduce disruption. Two-way traffic will be maintained where possible, although temporary traffic lights, junction closures and pavement diversions will be required during the works.

The project has been beset by delays since wider proposals for the route were first unveiled in January 2022.

Plans initially stalled after the council failed to secure funding through the Conservative government’s Levelling Up Fund in 2023, raising uncertainty over whether the scheme would proceed.

Earlier this year, Green councillor Matthew Snedker cited the Woodland Road project as an example of infrastructure schemes repeatedly delayed despite significant work by council officers.

He said projects that had been “designed, costed, audited and approved” had “languished on the drawing board for a year or more”.

The wider scheme also includes proposed changes to roundabouts at Cockerton, Staindrop Road and Woodland Road.

Separate plans linked to those improvements remain outstanding. A planning application submitted by the council to demolish a council-owned property at 267 Carmel Road, rebuild a retaining wall, remove trees and divert utility services has yet to be approved, despite demolition work previously being expected to start in spring 2026.

Libby McCollom, the council’s cabinet member for local services, said the project would help deliver the authority’s ambitions to encourage more sustainable travel. 

“This work feeds into the ambitions we laid out in the Council Plan,” she said.

“It will make it safer and easier for people to use more sustainable modes of transport, which will benefit not only their health but also the wider environment.

“It will also help to connect our communities by giving one safe, accessible route from West Park to the town centre.”