Nantwich could see pop-up cycle lanes, more walking routes, lower speed limits and wider pavements as part of plans to encourage more “active travel” among residents.
The plan, unveiled by Cheshire East Council, is part of the authority’s Covid-19 recovery.
Council chiefs say they want to focus on active travel to support the borough through the pandemic.
From June 15, measures were introduced to reduce town centre traffic by making some routes like Pillory Street, Hospital Street and Beam Street “access only”.
Cheshire East says it is considering “more than 500” ideas submitted by town and parish councillors on measures that may work in their towns and villages.
It is now developing a series of projects aimed at delivery this summer, including:
● Pop-up cycle lanes, with protected spaces for cycling
● Measures to reduce rat-running in streets
● Improved walking and cycling routes to school
● Safer junctions, with the potential for bus and cycle-only corridors
● Implementing lower speed limits
● Wider pavements, which also enables social distancing
Cllr Laura Crane, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for highways, said: “People’s travel behaviour has changed during the lockdown.
“We have seen an increase in more people walking and cycling in our borough and as more people turn to these active ways of travel, we need to work together to provide safe spaces for people to carry out these journeys.
“We will continue to work with the town and parish councils to develop, review and refine these measures.
“Due to the short timescales surrounding these schemes, any implementation will be done on an experimental basis.
“This means we can amend and improve the schemes as we go, before anything permanent is put into place.
“Our aim is to deliver schemes that are right for each town and developed in partnership with each local area.”
Cllr Suzie Akers Smith, Cheshire East Council’s walking and cycling champion, said: “There are long-term benefits to our health and environment by taking up daily active travel throughout our borough.
“There has never been a better time to walk or cycle – especially shorter journeys included as part of our daily activity or Footstep Friday and Cycle Saturday for weekly journeys.
“This type of activity helps to forge greener habits.
“Not only will the uptake of active travel reduce congestion and improve air quality across the borough, they will help us tackle our ambition to fight climate change.”
Detailed plans for active town measures will be published in the next few weeks.
(Stock image for display only, courtesy of GETTY)
Never mind extending the pedestrian area, something needs to be done to stop all the cars that drive through the existing area. The new access only areas are just being ignored by many selfish drivers.
More pathways and cycle lanes but they need to be maintained. It’s difficult to walk on some pathways without straying into the cycle lanes because the hedges along the pathways are not cut and force you into the cycle lanes.
As for the centre of town being access only is a joke. People appear to ignore this and it’s dangerous to walk in the road. The police should be handing this issue and handing out fines.
One thing that definitely needs to be looked at is the traffic and speed limit along Davenport Avenue and Manor Road.the speed bumps aren’t doing much good with some drivers and there’s a lot more traffic down here since Swine Market was closed as people cut through the swimming baths car park to Waterlode.
I live in Hatherton. I would love to cycle to Nantwich for the day but the speed of the traffic on the Audlem to Nantwich road is insane. What’s the point of having cycle lanes in town if you cant get to the town safely. Think it through.
About time. Three weeks on the trot, week one idiot driver thought he could bully me, pulled close and overtook then braked, got a bollocking off the police as I took the moron’s number, then last week a tractor pulled through red lights almost hit me, tough for him there was a police van after me and he was clocked.Yesterday in a quite road a driver decided I wasn’t going fast enough for him, so hooted like a demented animal, as I was flat out on an E bike so no idea what speed he was expecting.
as regards peter de stapleigh way, it is impossible to use the cycle lanes as they are clogged with selfish folk and dogs on 30′ leads as a hazzard trip wire
In Regard to Peter Destapleigh Way, the cycle lanes are suitable at the moment with people social distancing, and furthermore the surface quality is so bad or less you’re travelling slowly on a mountain bike. Any Hybrid or Road Bike isn’t suitable for the broken up rippled surface
What provision has been made for disabled drivers now access to many places have been pedestrianised?
Message to NANTWICH council. Why not permanently pedestrianise the centre of NANTWICH current ly cordoned off. Good for business and public health.
Technically most of the town IS pedestrianised. But to make all of it pedestrianised would have an adverse effect on deliveries to businesses onsite. Rat runs are essential for taxis and deliveries, but they could add signage signifying access times for Loading etc and fine those who don’t have good enough reason to be there e.g. daytime shoppers…
Could the stretch of pavement be considered for widening from churches mansions to the Morrison’s roundabout as in places it is extremely narrow and dangerous especially outside 134 hospital st to the supermarket roundabout. Not much chance of social distancing unless you want to walk on the road
Could walks where mobility scooters can be used be considered too?
Not really ‘plans’ yet, and I await the detail, but in principle this sounds very good. Long overdue, and unfortunate that it took a national crisis to prompt these actions, but perhaps one positive outcome from an otherwise tragic period.
I have no problem with cycle land and pathways but cyclists should be forced to use them when available instead of being on the road for there safety and that of road users.
Peter De Stapleigh Way is a prime example of this
Paul if you’d ever ridden a road bike along Peter Destapleigh Way you’d know why people ride on the road. It’s far to rippled a surface to ride on comfortably and safely, that’s before it’s taken up by pedestrians social distancing. Motorists just need to learn the virtue of patience
Or campaign to get the cycle lane fixed and made wider
The cycle lane on Peter De Stapleigh Way is useless. At every side road the cycle lane stops requiring you to give way to cars as you cross the road. It is far quicker to just cycle down the road which means you don’t have to stop.
The road is so wide that it would be perfectly possible to put in a cycle lane that is part of the road. Then it would be used.