TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington are being asked to take the lead on delivery of a multi-million £ package of measures to boost economic growth through tackling traffic problems in the borough.
The Department for Transport has awarded £4.65 million to the scheme – the Warrington Sustainable Travel Triangle – and the council’s executive board is being asked to provide £875,000 match funding over the next three years.
In February, the borough council was one of 52 authorities to submit a bid for funding from the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF), which aims to support economic growth through tackling traffic congestion and unreliable journey times and, at the same time, reduce carbon emissions.
The bid was accepted in full – one of only 25 that were. It will provide funding to run until the end of March, 2015.
Warrington’s Sustainable Travel Triangle sets out to provide attractive, low-carbon travel options between employment, retail and residents areas in the north of the borough and link them to the town centre.
It will encourage sustainable travel to employment areas in North Warrington, increase travel-to-work horizons for jobseekers in the north of the borough and reduce congestion at key junctions for all road users.
There will be a new, high quality bus service from the town centre, linking the main employment, residential and retail destinations in an east-west corridor.
A cycling route is proposed from Lingley Mere to Birchwood and there will also be speed reduction measures to remove barriers to walking and cycling, a cycle hire scheme at railway stations, adult cycle training, personalised travel planning and highway improvements at the junction of Sankey Way and Cromwell Avenue and Sankey Green Island.
Warrington’s bid was developed in partnership with Network Warrington – who have pledged £450,000 towards the cost of six new buses – Job Centre Plus, major employers, Warrington Collegiate and the University of Chester.
Cllr Linda Dirir (pictured), the council’s executive member for highways, transportation and climate change, said: “This support was vital in demonstrating to the government that this was a bid which business supported and would help to deliver sustainable economic growth in Warrington.
“Commitment of financial support from organisations like United Utilities, Birchwood MEPC and the University of Chester was tangible evidence of this support.”
The new bus service will link the town centre with Chapelford, Lingley Mere, Omega, Westbrook, Gemini, Winwick Quay, Warrington Collegiate, Orford Jubilee Park, the Warrington Campus of Chester University and Birchwood.
Council's £4m traffic congestion buster
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
3 Comments
The traffic problems won’t be solved until they bite the bullet and put a ring road in. This and previous attempts just paper over the cracks.
The lights at Cockhedge create traffic flow problems, rather than solve them. Let’s hope that the person who came up with that idea has taken redundancy.
When are WBC going to realise that they are bust!! Where is this money going to come from? This Dept has already decided to spend £750k on the 20mph scheme. Until WBC gets somebody in post who actually understands our traffic problems then nothing is going to work. I agree that the Cockhedge lights are a complete mess. Who is going to take responsibility for this mess and when is it going to be put right? What about the money spent at Winwick Road/Long Lane? This is another glaring example of a new system not working. Who is responsible for that? It’s time we had new Executive Member looking after Transportation who appears to know what they are doing since the current members simply seems to want to spend more and more of OUR money with no positive improvements!!
I suppose all of this is great in its own right. But at the same time as this, the council is withdrawing school buses (to save 2 per cent of what is being spent on this scheme) and slowing traffic down across the town. Talk about joined up thinking.