Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) is working to improve walking, wheeling and cycling routes in Usk, to help more residents get to school, work, the town centre shops and services and the local bus stops through active travel.
MCC has used Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund to develop a Welsh Transport Appraisal Guidance (WelTAG) study looking at how to improve routes in Usk for active travel, alongside town Regeneration/Placemaking plans focused on the town centre. WelTAG is the guidance through which the case for change, intervention options and preferred interventions are developed.
This WelTAG study looked at options for route improvements in the east of the town, around Usk Primary School, and made a number of recommendations. These include installing shared use path on the one-way section of Monmouth Road, and re-design of junctions for traffic calming and improved walking and cycling provision outside the school. This led to the development of designs for the Routes around Usk School scheme.
The aim of the Routes around Usk School scheme is to support active travel journeys between homes in Ladyhill, Burrium Gate and Monmouth Road, towards Usk Primary School, and Twyn Square. The design seeks to address barriers to active travel, supporting walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday, local trips.
Construction funding for this scheme has been awarded as a 2026/27 Safe Routes in Communities grant (SRiC) from Cardiff Capital Region’s Regional Transport Fund. SRiC funding is focussed on improvement to routes within urban areas and routes to school. The final design is subject to consultation and scoping, and construction will take place this financial year.
The proposals include changes to walking and cycling provision around Usk Primary School and the nursery, from the east along Monmouth Road and from the west along Castle Parade, Castle Street and Four Ash Street.
- Footway resurfacing
- Shared use path on the 1-way section of Monmouth Road
- A parallel crossing (walking and cycling) on Monmouth Road near Burrium Gate
- Re-design of junctions for traffic calming and improved walking and cycling provision
- Additional bus stop between Usk Primary School and Castle Mews (towards town) to allow alighting before Twyn Square
- Install bench on Castle Parade
- Pedestrian crossing build-out on Four Ash Street
- Re-locating the turning for Gwehelog road sign to the further A472 junction to reduce use of the Monmouth Rd one-way section.
The plan builds on the recent works on Monmouth Rd, where a dropped kerb and wider footway were added towards Factory Lane/the allotments, see below. The scheme will also connect to Twyn Square, where MCC Regeneration is developing plans for placemaking and public realm improvements in Usk town centre. The Monmouthshire Local Development Plan includes a plan to add approximately 40 new homes on Monmouth Road at the site ‘Land East of Burrium Gate’, so it’s important for both existing residents and for potential new homes to improve – and accommodate increased use of – the routes to the school, nursery, bus stops and town centre.
View PDF – General Arrangement overview drawing for Routes around Usk School SRiC scheme
Consultation
Consultation on the Routes around Usk School proposals was held in September 2026, via the Let’s Talk platform and a drop-in at the Primary School and Usk Library.
Most people surveyed said they visited the area regularly, with two thirds of respondents passing through at least 5 times a week. About half said their primary purpose for visiting the area was to go to shops and services in Usk or because they live within the scheme area. Another third said that their primary purpose for visiting the scheme area was to get to Usk Primary School.
Most of those who commented visit the area by car but many walk through the area too. Only a few people said that they cycle in the area. We asked, ‘If you do not walk, wheel or cycle in this area, please tell us why?’ – There were practical reasons given (distance, time, baggage). One fifth of people said they don’t feel safe due to traffic, and several people said they need to drive because of disability/poor accessibility. People said that they felt safer in a car than walking in the area.
The overall proposals were seen as beneficial to 30% of people who responded to the survey, but the rest were either unsure, did not expect an effect or expected a negative effect. Further comments mentioned that overgrown hedges and vehicle speeds on the route make walking/cycling unattractive or impossible at present (7 comments). On the proposals, there was concern about turning the footway into a shared use path on the one-way section of Monmouth Road (7), and the potential to create congestion through the design (3). The loss of parking spaces was also raised (5). Positive comments focused on the potential of an improved route, especially for children going to school, and useful crossing and bus stop changes.
Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund allowed MCC Active Travel to add accessibility improvements to Monmouth Road during highway drainage works. An accessible dropped kerb was added at the entrance to Usk allotments on Factory Lane, connecting to resurfaced footway from Factory Lane to Burrium Gate and supporting traffic calming along Monmouth Road.