Tolworth's controversial Greenway is set to double in length to encourage cycling.

Plans to extend the green striped path from the Broadway, down Ewell Road all the way to Red Lion Road will soon be unveiled as part of Kingston’s £30 million mini-Holland cycling programme.

A Kingston Council spokesman said it would send the plans to public consultation in the autumn with the hope of beginning building work in summer 2017.

He said: “This will be subject to public consultation but if a viable proposal is approved by the council then construction could take place from summer 2017.

“Connecting Surbiton and Tolworth is one of the projects under the Go Cycle mini-Holland programme, which includes Ewell Road up to Tolworth Broadway where the Greenway starts.

"The plans will provide continuous, safe cycle facilities along the whole route. Layout options are currently being tested to learn more about the potential impact on traffic.”

He could not say how much the project would cost but added that the budget would come entirely from the mini-Holland funding the borough was awarded by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson in 2014.

The original Tolworth Broadway was unveiled months behind schedule in November 2013 at a cost of £3 million, two-thirds funded by Transport for London.

The path aimed to encourage cyclists and pedestrians to share the same road space on Tolworth Broadway. But the Broadway has had limited success in achieving its aims, according to councillors and cycling groups.

But Surbiton Hill Liberal Democrat councillor and Kingston Cycling Campaign (KCC) member Hilary Gander said: “The Greenway is underused especially at the Esso garage end. I think that is because it just stops. I actually think the idea is really exciting. Currently it is only an idea and it will be subject to an extensive public consultation. People shouldn't beI don’t want people getting nervous about that.”

Conservative councillor David Cunningham added that if a large housing development on the former Tesco Toby Jug site were built then extra cycling provisions would be needed.

He said: “The linkage is very important. If we do end up with a large development there, it is important to have good transport connections.”

KCC said they had not yet seen the plans. Nicholas Davies from KCC said: “We have had discussions with officers about linking the Greenway to King Charles Rd or to the proposed mini-Holland route on Ewell Rd but no plans as yet so far as we are aware.

"We understand RBK are intending to bring certain other mini-Holland schemes to consultation and we’re meeting them next week to learn more, hopefully.”

The Greenway idea was condemned by Kingston Conservatives in the years leading up to construction.

It was described as “dangerous” and an “an experiment and one that could lead to death or injury” by the opposition in 2012.

Liberal Democrat councillors even accused Tory councillors of lobbying Mayor Boris Johnson to have funding pulled for the controversial scheme.

The Greenway has also received criticism from environmental campaigners over the sets of “hardy” Italian cypress evergreen trees that turned brown and died quickly after being planted on the path.