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Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Enhances Community Access With Upgraded Footpath 416 Linking Westerton And Westhampnett
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced the opening of Footpath 416, which connects Westerton and Westhampnett. This path now features an all-weather surface, ensuring year-round accessibility for everyone. The timing of the opening aligns with the new school year, offering a safe, traffic-free route for students traveling from Westerton to The March CE Primary School in Westhampnett.
The newly surfaced path is a significant contribution by Rolls-Royce to the local community. It goes beyond what was required for their site extension project currently underway. This initiative adds to various environmental and community benefits associated with this economically important development.
Footpath 416 has been a popular route for locals over the years, but it often became muddy and impassable during winter months. With the new surface, it remains accessible throughout the year. This improvement enhances its value as a community asset while preserving its natural character within the landscape.
Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations and Heritage at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, stated: "For many years, local residents have walked between the villages of Westerton and Westhampnett along what is today officially designated as Footpath 416. But in every one of those winters, the footpath has become so wet and muddy that it has been completely inaccessible to those with limited mobility. The new, all-weather surface transforms this public right of way into a year-round community asset with vastly increased accessibility and amenity value, while retaining its fundamental vernacular character and place within the local landscape. It is our contribution to our neighbours and the community we’re so proud to be part of."
The upgraded path will soon connect with Footpath 417, creating a 'clean boot' circular walk around the Parish. This will benefit both residents and visitors exploring this picturesque area of West Sussex. Importantly, these enhancements were funded entirely by Rolls-Royce without being part of any planning conditions for their expansion project.
This extension marks a significant change at Rolls-Royce's Goodwood site since its opening in 2003. It plays a crucial role in ensuring long-term sustainability and prosperity for the company. The project supports over 2,500 jobs at Goodwood and more than 7,500 in its supply chain while contributing significantly to both local and national economies.
Economic Impact
An independent study by the London School of Economics & Political Science highlights that since launching at Goodwood in 2003, Rolls-Royce has contributed over £4 billion to the UK economy. Annually, it adds more than £500 million in economic value with 20% benefiting Chichester and West Sussex directly.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars operates independently from Rolls-Royce plc., which manufactures aircraft engines. As part of BMW Group's wholly-owned subsidiary network globally headquartered at Goodwood's Centre for Luxury Manufacturing Excellence where bespoke cars are crafted meticulously by hand.
This initiative underscores Rolls-Royce's commitment not only towards luxury car manufacturing but also towards enhancing community infrastructure around their base operations through thoughtful investments like Footpath 416 improvements.
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