Kings Barton and Abbotts Barton residents to benefit from better bus, walking and cycling connections

The changes include a new bus service serving Kings Barton (KB1), funded by developer contributions, alongside cycling and walking upgrades to Worthy Road between the Dyson Drive and Stoke Road junctions, funded by a combination of developer contributions, the Government’s Active Travel Fund, and Winchester City Council.  

Councillor Lulu Bowerman, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “I am pleased to confirm the go-ahead of travel improvements for north Winchester. A new bus service for Kings Barton will create a direct and convenient link for residents to the city centre, supporting the growth of this expanding community and I hope it encourages more people to choose public transport for local journeys. In addition, upgrades to the busy Worthy Road will help people to walk and cycle more easily and safely, whilst also creating better connections between Kings Barton and the surrounding areas. This is all part of our plan to provide alternatives to car use to encourage healthier ways to travel, cut pollution and carbon emissions.” 

The new KB1 bus route will operate from Monday to Saturday between 0700–1900 from early October 2024, offering a direct service to Winchester city centre. This service has been funded by the Kings Barton developer with a view that passenger usage will be monitored for two years to establish demand and to determine when the service can become commercially viable.   

The Worthy Road scheme will provide a new pedestrian and cycle crossing over Worthy Road, south of the junction with Stoke Road, to connect the recently opened pedestrian and cycle route to the Kings Barton development, via Stoke Road and Courtenay Road, to the existing cycle-friendly routes through Abbotts Barton into the city centre. The scheme forms the first phase of a longer-term aspiration to provide improved cycling and walking facilities on Worthy Road between Andover Road in the city centre, and the Cart and Horses junction in Kings Worthy. This follows public engagement with local people who gave their views on transport in north Winchester. A contractor will be appointed with the start on site work currently expected in late 2024.