Villages set to benefit from transport investment

THE villages of Culcheth and Glazebury are to benefit from £15,000 of transport investment, thanks to the work of local councillors Chris Vobe and Matt Smith.
The two councillors submitted a bid on behalf of Culcheth and Glazebury Parish Council to the Local Transport Plan Fund, which was then presented to the East Area Neighbourhood Board at their September meeting.
The fund – available to all parish councils across the Warrington East area – is designed to assist with local schemes that will improve transportation, sustainability and accessibility.
The funding bid from Cllrs Vobe and Smith – which covers three specific projects – has been approved in its entirety as follows:
1.Alterations to the path crossing the New Inn Gardens, at a cost of approximately £10,000. This will involve widening the path itself, resurfacing it and re-grading it to allow access for wheelchair users and Motability scooters.
2.£4,000 to install additional dropped kerbs throughout the villages, to enhance disabled access. Priority locations will be determined by way of a consultation currently being carried out by the councillors.
3.Finally, £1,000 has been allocated to fund “design fees” as a number of options to combat parking problems on Heswall Avenue are being drawn up. When the designs are complete, residents in this cul-de-sac will be consulted on which solution they prefer to tackle the congestion that has affected the road for the past few years.
Cllr Vobe (pictured right) said: “I am delighted that £15,000 worth of investment has been earmarked, and is on its way to, Culcheth and Glazebury. As local councillors, we are committed to improving the long-term sustainability of our village community, and these schemes will go a long way towards that. Improving access to the gardens at Newchurch will encourage more people to use our village centre, and setting the ball rolling on work to combat parking congestion on Heswall Avenue will provide a great relief to residents in that part of Culcheth.”
Cllr Smith (pictured left) added: “I have taken the lead locally on a consultation with residents over the best places to install extra dropped kerbs. We are very grateful for the feedback we have received from our recent newsletter, and would welcome any further suggestions people want to make. I have visited a number of sites in the village with council officers, and demonstrated the clear need for this investment. We are very pleased that our bid has been accepted and look forward to seeing these improvements come to life in the months ahead.”