Havering Cyclists very disappointed to discover that the Marsh Way Active Travel Scheme has been cancelled.

The Marsh Way Active Travel Scheme would have delivered a continuous, protected walking and cycling route linking the A1306 in Rainham with nearby residential developments, industrial estates, the proposed Beam Park railway station and existing cycle infrastructure.

Marsh Way runs south from National Cycle Route 13, alongside the A1306, and is a busy, unprotected two-lane road connecting the A13 trunk road with a major industrial estate. The site includes the head office of NELFT NHS Foundation Trust and Rainham’s Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME). For cyclists travelling to the industrial estate, Marsh Way is currently the only access route.

Calls for a protected cycle route linking the industrial estate with existing cycling infrastructure date back to 2020, when NHS workers raised concerns about the safety of cycling to the CEME campus. Pressure for improvements increased in January 2021 after two cyclists were killed in separate collisions on Marsh Way within the space of a week.

In response, plans were developed for a two-way segregated cycle track connecting Marsh Way with the A13 to the south, alongside a shared-use walking and cycling route continuing towards the industrial estates and CEME campus.

Havering Council’s previous administration, led by the Havering Residents Association, launched a public consultation on the proposals in March 2025. At the time, the council said the scheme would “offer a practical alternative to car travel, making it easier for people to commute sustainably”, while improving safety and reducing road traffic collisions involving cyclists.

The £1.1m project was due to be funded entirely through external funding from The Thames Gateway Project and Transport for London, meaning Havering that Council would not have needed to contribute any of its own money towards its delivery.

However, the council, controlled since May 2026 by Reform UK, has decided to abandon the scheme, despite the funding having been secured.

The decision has prompted criticism and frustration among local cyclists, and our view is that the cancellation is a shocking waste.

According to the council’s own website, the project would have a range of benefits for the Havering community:

  • Improved walking and cycling infrastructure providing a safe and continuous cycle connection.
  • Increased use of cycling facilities will provide mental and physical health benefits and potentially some reductions in vehicle traffic and improvements to air quality.
  • Increased safety for cyclists and a reduction in road traffic collisions involving cyclists.
  • Improved connectivity into the London Riverside Business Improvement District comprising 450 businesses and 5,000 employees.

Havering Cyclists has challenged the decision but the reasoning behind it appears to us to be misguided.

Hence we are seeking support and advice from a number of sources to try to get this decision reversed.