WORK will start next week on upgrading the Trans Pennine Trail at Lymm thanks to a £320,000 grant from the Department of Transport.
Warrington Borough Council will be starting work to upgrade part of the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) and National Cycle Network Route 62 in Lymm.
The council was successful in obtaining funding to make improvements to the TPT between Whitbarrow Road and Reddish Crescent in Lymm. The investment is managed by the charity Sustrans as part of a national grant from the Department for Transport.
This section of the Trail was last upgraded in the late 1980’s when a red shale path was constructed. Over the years the surface has deteriorated, so that it becomes very muddy and wet following rain, making it impassable for most users. The path has also become overgrown with trees and shrubs, reducing its width, and there are several, old A-frame barriers that restrict the use of the trail for many people, who are unable to get through them.
The aim of the upgrade project is to provide a 3.5m wide all-weather surface which will allow for all-year-round use. As well as catering for people walking, cycling, running and horse riding, the new path will allow easier access for people in wheelchairs, mobility scooters and families using pushchairs and prams. All of the old A frame barriers will be replaced by Equality Act compliant access controls.
The council carried out a three-week engagement exercise in November 2021. This gave people the opportunity to make comments and have their questions answered, with feedback received helping to inform the final scheme design.
The consultation resulted in over 300 responses and a well-attended drop in event at the Lymm village hall in December. Overall, there was positive support for improvements, though there were a number of specific concerns including the use of tarmac for the path surface and the potential loss of trees.
Accordingly, the design has been modified so that the new surface will not be tarmac. Instead the path will be laid with an innovative material known as Flexipave which is one of several brand names for a recycled car tyre and aggregate mix.
The resulting path will not only look better, it will also offer better drainage and will be more suitable for all users including runners, dog walkers and horse riders. In addition, far fewer trees will need to be removed along the route. Flexipave has been used successfully on other similar greenways in many other areas including Barnsley and Salford.
Contractors AE Yates and KBI Ltd will be working together to lay the new path and the works are due to start at the end of February. A closure notice has been issued for 16 weeks though it is hoped that the works will be completed sooner than this pending weather conditions. A diversion route for the TPT will be in place and details will be provided on the project web page, via social media and using on-site notices.
As part of the works it is necessary to close the car park adjacent to the Rangers Cabin (also referred to as Statham Avenue Car Park) for the duration of the works.
Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for transportation, highways and public realm, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “We are very grateful to everybody who responded to the consultation. Your views and comments have resulted in a much better scheme with an innovative design which we are all very excited about.
However, we haven’t forgotten the other parts of the TPT which are also in need of improvement. We will continue to work with our partners, Sustrans and the TPT office, to bid to the government for further funding so that all of the TPT in Warrington will be treated.“
Earlier this year, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced £30 million funding for Sustrans to spend on the National Cycle Network. It has kick-started dozens of infrastructure upgrades across the UK. The council has submitted a bid to Sustrans for further funding to upgrade other sections of the Trail and National Cycle Network 62.
For more information on the project visit warrington.gov.uk/TPT-Lymm
