A cycle route from Godalming to Guildford has taken a step nearer completion after town councillors agreed to fund a feasibility study into one of the planned sections.

The council agreed to allocate £3,000, the first payment from its Carbon Reduction & Biodiversity Fund, to meet the cost of the report.

The study will investigate what route the Godalming Greenway could take from the Phillips Memorial to the High Street. It will also consider the benefits of a route along the Burys Path. It will be carried out on behalf of Waverley Borough Council, which owns the memorial park.

The project has been put forward by the Godalming Cycle Forum. Its chairman, Richard McIlwraith, told Nub News he was pleased that the survey had been given the go-ahead.

The Greenway will be set up as a main spine, with links to locations along the route including schools, homes and leisure and sports facilities.

A 700-metre section will be built this year: Surrey County Council has agreed to build the length running from Ockford Park, the new development of homes on Ockford Ridge, down to Godalming High Street. The cash will come from the developers of Ockford Park via the Community Infrastructre Levy fund.

"We will just continue to build it section by section as funds become available," Mr McIlwraith said.

"Funds at the moment are very tight, so we are extremely lucky that we got any money at all."

"We came up with the idea of a greenway three years ago, and we are amazed and delighted at the positive response we got from everybody. We seem to have quite a lot of support from the local councillors with it.

"It has been adopted by Surrey County Council, Waverley Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council and Godalming Town Council. All four have backed it and made it part of their official policy."

A second part of the route is planned for completion next year: Guildford Borough Council has completed a study into a route from Shalford village into Shalford Park.

"We are delighted that we have got this," added Mr McIlwraith, "especially because we are a voluntary group and there are about 20 of us: we will never build a single millimetre of the Greenway, it will be the councils and the councillors, and they are putting their backs into it."

Godalming Town Council said in a statement: "The Guildford-Godalming Greenway will link the two towns with a safe and comfortable route suitable for people who are walking, on bikes, using wheelchairs or families with children in pushchairs.

"The Greenway will facilitate access to public transport for cyclists and pedestrians without having to use motor vehicles.

"The feasibility and design study will consider the relative benefits of a route along The Bury's path as well as a route through the Philips Memorial Park. The GCC have been championing the Greenway, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions and encourage residents to lead more active lifestyles as well as encouraging children to use Active Travel to get to school.

The statement added: "Godalming Town Council established a Carbon Reduction & Biodiversity Fund in July 2019 in order to provide funding towards projects where a primary aim is to reduce CO2 emissions from households, organisations or individuals in Godalming and to promote biodiversity."

For more information on criteria and how to apply visit this link.