Cycling initiatives in Cheshire East

Council seeks views on new proposals to boost cycling and walking

Cheshire East Council is seeking people's views on a second phase of 'active travel' schemes to boost cycling and walking – following the award of additional government funding.

The proposals, which are out for public consultation from today, aim to help deliver the council's priorities of making our towns safer, healthier and more welcoming. This is all the more important as we recover from the pandemic.

The council wants to hear people's views on proposals for five new active travel projects across Cheshire East towns. The 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.

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. Construction of the selected projects will start in summer 2021. Unlike the first set of emergency schemes, it is intended that these measures will be permanent.

The new proposals, which are 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 will also be 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, click on: https://cheshireeastactivetravel.commonplace.is/