Improving walking, wheeling and cycling access in Northwich
Cheshire West and Chester Council has been awarded Active Travel England funding to deliver an active travel route from Northwich town centre (Venables Street/Witton Street junction) to Northwich railway station.
Your views
Thank you to everyone who took part in the public engagement in November and December in 2023. 200 people took part in our online survey and we had more than 50 people give comments at the drop in sessions at Brio Memorial Court.
Other feedback has also been gathered to understand the practicalities of the proposed routes, including comments by email, social media and a range of meetings with stakeholders.
Feedback from the engagement activity is being analysed and is informing the development of detailed designs and we will publish the results from the engagement shortly.
What are the different routes?
Route A along Station Road/Witton Street
Provides a direct pedestrian route along Station Road, across Chester Way on to Witton Street to the town centre. For cyclists, a reduced speed limit to 20mph would improve the on-road route, but high traffic levels would remain.
Route B along Victoria Road and Kingsway
Provides an on-road cycle route with pedestrian improvements along Victoria Road on to Kingsway. A new crossing over Chester Way to Church Road leads on to Witton Street to the town centre. For cyclists, this would be a quieter on-road route with less traffic, however it is less direct to reach the town centre.
The project aims to support more people to make short trips by walking, wheeling and cycling by improving accessibility to the main retail areas of the Town Centre
Key aspects include:
- Improved pedestrian crossing points at side roads
- Reduced speed limits to make on-road cycling safer
- New signalised crossing for pedestrians and cyclists over Chester Way
- Improved public realm and junction at Venables Way
- New cycle parking
Timetable
- Scheme design commissioned – March 2023
- Active travel route and plans public engagement – November-December 2023 (completed)
- Construction work to start - Spring 2024 (provisional)
- Construction works completion – Autumn 2024 (provisional)
Active Travel is about travelling to different places, usually by either walking, cycling or wheeling. This is typically for short or local journeys. Not only does this have great environmental benefits such as reduced carbon emissions, it also helps you get out and about.
This project aims to create a safer route for walking, wheeling and cycling, helping to improve and create a more accessible route from Northwich railway station to the town centre.