Don’t miss the chance to ‘have your say’ on new proposals to boost cycling and walking

Cheshire East Council is urging people to share their views on the latest proposals to boost cycling and walking in the borough.

The second phase of active travel schemes are available for comment in a public consultation which began on 3 February. The aim is to help deliver the council’s priorities of making our towns safer, healthier and more welcoming – which is especially important as we recover from the pandemic.

The council has had some responses but still wants to hear more of your views on proposals for five new active travel projects across Cheshire East towns – and especially on the proposals for Crewe, which have had relatively few responses to date.

The five schemes are a second tranche to encourage more people to cycle and walk, help tackle obesity and improve access to our town centres, areas for employment and schools. 

Councillor Laura Crane, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for highways and waste, said: “This consultation is important for shaping the latest active travel schemes in five locations: Crewe, Congleton, Wilmslow, Macclesfield and Tytherington.

“We know that people’s travel behaviour has changed during the lockdown – and Cheshire East Council wants to secure and build on the benefits of more people walking and cycling. This will help make our town centres not only safer and healthier but also more welcoming to shoppers and visitors.

“I would encourage more people to engage with the online consultation and take just a few minutes to share their views on the proposals – particularly the Crewe scheme, which has had relatively few responses so far.

“I would emphasise that all of these proposals are subject to consultation. We will decide which schemes to deliver when we understand the views of local residents and road-users. We will continue to work with our town and parish councils, local communities and stakeholders to develop and refine proposals before anything is built.” 

The council aims to create schemes that are right for each community and developed in partnership with each local area and local people – which is why the public consultation feedback is so important.

The council secured £588,000 of Department for Transport funding in the second phase of active travel grants. This grant will be used, possibly with other match funding, to build schemes that will provide key parts of our longer-term plans for joined-up walking and cycling networks.

This consultation follows on from £155,000 of first-phase funding, last August, which led to eight emergency active travel projects across seven Cheshire East towns. 

The choice of schemes will be informed by the public consultation response and the designs will also be refined to reflect local feedback. Unlike the first set of emergency schemes, it is intended that these measures will be permanent.

The new proposals, subject to consultation, include design options for the following locations in the borough:

• Manchester Road, in Tytherington;
• Vernon Way, West Street and Market Street, Crewe;
• Black Lane and Hurdsfield Road, Macclesfield;
• Antrobus Street, West Street and Mill Street, Congleton; and
• Manchester Road, Chancel Lane, Cliff Road and Styal Road, in Wilmslow/Handforth.

There is also a further consultation on changes to the tranche one experimental scheme in Sandbach.

The consultation runs until 3 March 2021. To find out more and have your say, visit the consultation page.