Four Stockport active travel schemes get the green light

Four walking and cycling schemes in Stockport are to go ahead following Greater Manchester being awarded £23.7 million from Active Travel England.

The spiral ramp at the Interchange (pictured), the Romiley to Stockport route, Phase 2 of the Ladybrook Valley scheme and the second phase of the Heatons Links project are all set to benefit from the funding. Funding for schemes across Greater Manchester will be topped up by an additional £17 million from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund, due to be released next week.

Greater Manchester secured the largest regional settlement of any area in the country from Active Travel England, with projects in all 10 boroughs set to progress. Active Travel England in total has approved £200 million for 65 local authority areas nationwide.

Investment will enable Greater Manchester to progress with its long-term ambition to create the largest walking, wheeling and cycling network in the country, and further unlock the health and environmental benefits of active travel for people across the city-region.

Dame Sarah Storey, Greater Manchester’s Active Travel Commissioner, said:

“The news of this funding award from Active Travel England is a sign of confidence in the plan we have here in Greater Manchester for the development of our Active Travel network. It’s vital that we are linking to the wider public transport system and building a Bee Network that provides genuine journey choice for residents and visitors alike.

“The new funding, as well as the funding drawn down from the Mayor’s Challenge Fund, will be used across all 10 boroughs on a variety of infrastructure projects. The key focus remains that a universally accessible network is the aim and so the projects vary from segregated and accessible paths and crossings, to secure cycle storage and upgraded junctions.

“I am looking forward to seeing all of the funded projects come to life as they will further add to the high quality, comprehensive network of active travel routes that are needed across the region.”

Cllr Mark Roberts, Stockport Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said:

“It’s absolutely fantastic news that we have the funds to create four new accessible walking and cycling projects in the borough.

“Stockport is one of the leading boroughs in GM when it comes to rolling out new high quality ‘Bee Network’ infrastructure. It is important we invest now for the future connectivity our communities will benefit from for generations.

“We are putting a great deal of effort into creating a walking and wheeling network that most importantly is open to everyone and will help reduce those short car journeys and encourage people, where they can, to leave the car at home whether getting to work, school or for personal fitness.”

Among the Stockport projects being supported by Active Travel England funding is a 180 metre spiral ramp, linking a rooftop park above the town centre’s new transport interchange to the River Mersey and the TransPennine trail, and to a wider network of cycling, walking and wheeling routes. The ramp will not only be a striking structure to look at, but it will also provide a seamless and dedicated link for users to walk, wheel or cycle to the new park from ground level, and vice-versa.

Other projects across the city-region being supported by the funding include expanding cycle parking at schools, NHS sites, and public transport hubs, as well as improving facilities at signal junctions for pedestrians. With approximately five million journeys made on Greater Manchester’s road network each day, the investment in active travel infrastructure will further enable people to opt for different modes of transport and in turn reduce congestion.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, added:

“The scale of our ambition in transforming how people get around is huge; with a target for one million extra journeys being made on public transport or by bike or foot every day by 2040.

“To meet this challenge head-on we are delivering our transformational Bee Network, which will make travelling easier, cheaper and more accessible and connect our trams and buses – and ultimately local train services – with the largest cycling, walking and wheeling network anywhere in the UK.”