Cheshire East Council is to press ahead with two key walking and cycling routes – to encourage people to leave their cars on the drive and get healthier.
One route will be created in Wilmslow with the other in the Leighton area of Crewe.
In Wilmslow, the new 2.1km route will link the railway station with the town centre, Wilmslow High School, the Royal London campus and Alderley Park. Construction could begin as early as the autumn.
Councillor Laura Crane, Cheshire East Council's cabinet member for highways and waste, said: "Our ambition is to improve walking and cycling facilities across the borough by investing in high-quality infrastructure to provide safe and attractive routes connecting local amenities and places of work.
"Our 2017 cycling strategy sets a target to double the number of people cycling at least once per week by 2027. If there is one upside from the pandemic, it is that more people have taken up cycling, either to commute to work or for leisure."
Council deputy leader Councillor Craig Browne said: "As a council we recognise that traffic congestion and parking provision are significant issues in Wilmslow. One of the ways in which we are seeking to address both is by managing demand for car journeys.
"Where possible, we want to encourage residents and businesses to choose alternative modes of travel and this scheme is one of the ways in which we can make it safer for them to do that."
The consultation on the proposed Wilmslow walking and cycling route scheme is open until 24 July. To take part visit the council's website.
The council has set a budget of £2.8m for both schemes and has £1.6m in grant funding confirmed from Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership. Developer contributions and funding from the council will be required to meet the balance.
Discussions are taking place with some landowners and the council is hopeful of acquiring all the land required without the need to compulsorily purchase. A community consultation is ongoing for the Wilmslow scheme, while the A530 scheme in Crewe has already received positive feedback from a consultation carried out in 2019.
Comments
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If what is done is just a white line down the road, narrowing the road the cars can drive on, it won't work.
Which will it be?
All good ideas, but I sense that commuters benefit, rather than actual residents of this area. It is short trips to shops that could be encouraged on bikes/walking and remove cars off roads.
Presently your bike is brushed by Bentleys trying to beat it to the A34. Rather scary at times.
In doing so they necessitate several hundred car journeys per day along with the adverse effect on traffic flow, parking and the environment.
There are also a large number of Girls travelling from Wilmslow to AESG.