Spen Valley Greenway improvement works

With funding from the Department for Transport, Sustrans have improved a section of the Spen Valley Greenway. The project covered approximately 2.5km of the path, from Victoria Park near Low Moor Station to Whitechapel Road.

The improvement will protect the greenway for future use and improve accessibility to those using the greenway for walking, wheeling and cycling.

Access to the greenway via Lathe Hall Avenue and Whitechapel Road is now open.

Scroll down to see more detail of the planned improvements.

Sustrans relies on our invaluable network of volunteers to do what we do.

We work with local residents, community groups, businesses and organisations who volunteer with us to improve the Spen Valley Greenway for people and wildlife. We run regular activities, such as litter picks, wildflower planting, and vegetation management. To find out how you can get involved, email us at volunteers-north@sustrans.org.uk. You can also sign-up for our quarterly Spen Valley Greenway e-newsletter by sending us an email. We advertise our volunteer opportunities in the newsletter.

We are currently running a project to encourage and enable community groups to use the Spen Valley Greenway. Our Project Officer, Emma Andrews has been working with S2R Create Space, an organisation that promotes positive mental health. Emma has been taking participants on wellbeing walks on the greenway, and doing activities with them such as bulb planting and bench painting. Emma has lots of other activities planned for the 2024, involving more local groups.

We hold occasional events to celebrate the greenway. To celebrate the Jo Cox Way ride going along the greenway in summer 2023, we held an information stall with a smoothie bike. Our colleagues really enjoyed talking to people using the greenway over a free smoothie.

We plan to hold a celebration event on the greenway in spring 2024, to celebrate the improvements being made to the greenway. There will be lots of free activities and giveaways. Keep an eye on our social media, or sign-up to our Spen Valley Greenway e-newsletter to make sure you don't miss out on the event!

Sustrans is the custodian of the National Cycle Network and a charity dedicated to making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle.

We are leading a £77m England-wide programme to enhance the National Cycle Network. Supported by the Department for Transport, the programme - which is delivering over 150 transformative projects to improve over 300km of the Network - is making walking, wheeling and cycling safer and more accessible for everyone.

The programme forms part of our  Paths for Everyone  vision of a UK-wide network of traffic-free paths, connecting cities, towns, and countryside, loved by the communities they serve. By working with the UK government, local authorities, key local stakeholders, volunteers, and communities, we’re turning the vision into reality.

We will continue to update this page with further details on the improvement works as they are confirmed.

We will also publish key project milestones and events on social media. Follow  @SustransNorth  on X (formally Twitter), or  Sustrans North on Facebook . We also produce a quarterly newsletter on all things Spen Valley Greenway; sign up to receive the newsletter by emailing volunteers-north@sustrans.org.uk.

If you have further questions, email EnglandNorth@sustrans.org.uk.