Council to continue agreement with Trans Pennine Trail

Stockport Council has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the Trans Pennine Trail coast-to-coast route through the borough.

The 215-mile Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) crosses the North of England, and runs through Stockport along the banks of the Mersey, then either through the town centre or on a quieter route for horse riders, before leaving the borough through the leafy Tame Valley. The route was the first long-distance multi-user route in the UK and forms part of the National Cycle Network.

Stockport is a long-standing partner of the project, sitting on the area group of officers in Greater Manchester, and supports the maintenance and improvement of the route in Stockport. The council also pays a financial contribution to the running of the overall project.

In the past few years, the Council has made a number of improvements on the TPT in the borough, including:

• A new alternative route on the River Mersey section due to river erosion on the previous route.
• Connecting new active travel routes in the borough to the TPT route and boosting its usage and sustainable travel choices.
• Resurfacing sections of the route affected by flooding events.
• Working with Sustrans and the TPT office to improve the accessibility of access controls using funding from the Department for Transport.

In addition, the council has worked to maintain the routes presence during development work taking place in the town centre. An example has been the rerouting of the TPT while the works take place to create Stockport’s new Interchange development.

Cllr Grace Baynham, Stockport Council’s Cabinet Member for Parks, Highways and Transport Services, said:

“The Trans Pennine Trail is such an important route and in Stockport we are really proud that it makes it way through the heart of our borough.

“We have been working hard to create new walking and cycling routes in the borough that will allow our residents to make healthier, more sustainable travel choices and some of these routes have actually allowed us to link in with the existing TPT routes.

“Once the Interchange site is complete, the TPT will also provide an important link to the railway station and improve the connectivity for residents and visitors.”

Cllr John Wilson, Chair of the Trans Pennine Trail Partnership, from Barnsley Council, said:

“It’s wonderful to know that Stockport Council has confirmed its ongoing commitment to the Trans Pennine Trail Partnership in signing our revised Memorandum of Understanding.

“Our partnership started in the late 1980’s and has to be one of the longest serving partnerships of Local Authorities in the UK. It is because of the dedication of our partners that we remain as strong as we are. Thank you Stockport.”