Residents in Cheadle Heath and Cheadle, Stockport are being asked how they would like to improve the neighbourhoods and streets where they live.
In Stockport, areas of Cheadle and Cheadle Heath have been chosen to receive low-traffic neighbourhood improvements, with the plans aligning with other local cycling and walking schemes that are live in Romiley and the Heatons. These innovative schemes typically create quieter streets for residents to chat and for children to play, as well as making trips to schools and the shops safer.
People living in Cheadle and Cheadle Heath are being asked to feedback what they like about their area, but also how it could be made better – and whether they would like to stop through traffic using their streets as a short-cut. Residents can leave comments on the plans on an interactive map.
The latest scheme forms part of the Bee Network, a 10-year plan for Greater Manchester to deliver the UK’s largest cycling and walking network, eventually spanning 1,800 miles.
The focus is on enabling people to leave the car at home for everyday trips to school or to the shops. This will contribute to the one million additional daily sustainable journeys Greater Manchester wants to achieve by 2040, while also having wider benefits to health, congestion and clean air.
Cllr David Meller, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council, said:
I am really excited by the potential of an Active Neighbourhood in Cheadle and Cheadle Heath. Active Neighbourhoods can not only make it easier to move around by foot or bike, but they can address issues residents feel passionate about: from rat-running to speeding down residential streets.
“We’ve recently completed very successful engagement exercises on Active Neighbourhoods in the Heatons and Romiley and our officers are currently analysing the comments left by residents.
“This engagement exercise will allow us to focus on issues Cheadle and Cheadle Heath residents raise. It’s also important the idea of an Active Neighbourhood has wide approval from residents, which we’ll find out through this exercise.
“I really hope the Active Neighbourhood proposal will achieve wide support as the benefits go beyond those who just walk and cycle. By making our roads safer and less congested, the benefits can be felt by many across Cheadle and Cheadle Heath.”
There are currently low traffic neighbourhoods in every district of Greater Manchester, many of which were created during the 1990s.
This latest Active Neighbourhood is part of a GM-wide programme of 10 schemes (one per district) to be delivered by Arup and Sustrans in 2021, in partnership with councils and TfGM.
For more information and to have your say on the Cheadle Heath scheme, visit Cheadle Survey and the Cheadle Active Neighbourhood hub.