Residents in Stockport are being invited to have their say on proposals for a new walking and cycling route connecting the Heatons to Stockport town centre.
In summer 2020, Stockport Council introduced measures to improve walking and cycling by installing a temporary route along quieter streets between Heaton Chapel and Stockport Town Centre.
This was delivered through the national Emergency Active Travel Fund (EATF), which enabled local authorities to use temporary interventions to encourage travel on foot or by bike whilst maintaining social distancing and avoiding overcrowding on public transport.
Residents provided feedback on this route and various changes were made, including the removal of the temporary signals at Heaton Chapel railway station.
The council’s ambition is to deliver a high-quality and fully connected walking and cycling network across the borough, and as part of these ambitions, has developed proposals to turn the EATF temporary route into a permanent scheme.
If approved, the scheme would be funded by the Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund (MCF).
As with the current temporary scheme, the new proposals focus on delivering important, high quality local connections on quieter streets.
A key aspect of the proposed scheme is the introduction of traffic lights at the Heaton Moor Road/Peel Moat Road/Broomfield Road junction, next to the Elizabethan pub and St Mary and St Mina’s Church, to provide safe, new, pedestrian crossing facilities.
In the Town Centre, the proposed scheme would then connect with existing pedestrian and cycling facilities including those recently installed on George’s Road and Travis Brow, and links via pedestrian and cycle routes across M60 Junction 1 to the Trans-Pennine Trail along the River Mersey in Heaton Norris.
Cllr David Meller, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council, said: “This proposed route, which is subject to consultation with residents, would help the council to connect the town centre with the Fallowfield Loop via our recently created Heatons Cycle Links scheme.
“Stockport is passionate about walking and cycling and we want to ensure residents are informed every step of the way when the team is developing proposals such as this one.
“The Mayor’s Challenge Fund is key to our aim of creating these new walking and cycling links and we want them to help increase the number of our residents who cycle and walk to their destination – whether that be to work, school, or for leisure purposes.”
Richard Nickson, Programme Director for Cycling and Walking at TfGM, said: “We want to make travelling on foot or by bike through every neighbourhood a safe and pleasant experience for everyone in Greater Manchester.
“The proposed improvements in Stockport will make life much easier for people who want to ride, scoot or simply walk for short trips and contributes towards our ambition of creating the largest cycling and walking network in the UK. I’d encourage residents in Stockport to get involved and have their say on these new proposals.”
In addition to the Heatons to Stockport route, Transport for Greater Manchester is also consulting on proposals to relocate and upgrade a crossing on Manchester Road in Heaton Chapel, close to the junctions of Bourne Street and All Saint’s Road.
To have your say on the proposed Heatons scheme and the crossing on Manchester Road, visit www.stockport.gov.uk/
