NEW experimental measures are being put in place in two of Warrington’s inner town wards, aimed at reducing traffic and improving conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.
Warrington Borough Council is launching its Central 6 Streets Plan on Monday June 20.
It will see the implementation of a ‘Low Traffic Neighbourhood Trial’, initially focusing on two neighbourhoods – Orford (within Fairfield & Howley and Orford wards) and Westy (within Latchford East ward).
The new measures respond to previous local feedback through the Central 6 Regeneration Masterplan, which raised concerns around traffic levels, road safety, air pollution and the quality of streets within these areas.
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods work by closing off an area to through vehicular traffic so that people can drive to and from it but cannot drive through it. This stops drivers using residential roads as shortcuts (‘rat running’) and makes it safer and easier to walk and cycle.
Through the trial, the council aims to reduce rat-running in the Orford and Westy neighbourhoods, through a series of road closures, using temporary wooden planters as modal filters. These allow walkers and cyclists to pass through, but stop all motorised traffic at each point. An additional measure will also be put in place in place in Orford, with the introduction a new bus gate on Hallfields Road, south of Withers Ave. It will allow buses and taxis only to drive through and cyclists to cycle through while private vehicles will need to re-route.
The bus gate, which will be enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, aims to benefit Hallfields Road and other streets in the area by making the roads quieter and safer for residents, pedestrians and cyclists.
The Orford and Westy Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes will be implemented on a temporary basis using an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO) and will run for a maximum of 18 months. During the trial period, data will be collected, which alongside feedback from the local community, will be used to monitor the impact and identify issues.
Cllr Hans Mundry
“Through this trial, we can take big steps forward in cutting down on the number of cars moving through residential streets in Orford and Westy, reducing air and noise pollution, and transforming the environment into one which is much more pleasant, inclusive and safe for people to walk and cycle.
“Of course, the introduction of these measures means there is likely to be an initial period of some disruption, due to the changes in routing and travel habits across the neighbourhoods. However, once traffic patterns settle down, we are looking forward to seeing huge environmental benefits for the local community.”
Funding for the Central 6 Streets Plan has been awarded through the Government’s Active Travel Fund programme.
The project aims to improve the local area and environment through improvements to local streets:
•Better streets – more pleasant and attractive places to live that encourage outdoor activity.
•Safer streets – slowing and reducing vehicle traffic to reduce the risk to people walking, cycling and socialising.
•Greener streets – tree, flowers and shrub planting to improve the look and feel of the area, and provide biodiversity.
•Cleaner streets – tidier environment with less litter and clutter.
•Cleaner air – improved air quality with reduced motor vehicle use – especially through-traffic.
•Inclusive streets – streets that function better for everyone to use and move around in, particularly those with additional mobility requirements.
•Healthier streets – streets that encourage and allow people to walk, cycle or scoot for everyday journeys.
•Streets for play – safer environments for children and younger people.
We’re launching our new ‘Central 6 Streets Plan’ in Orford and Westy on 20 June. It aims to reduce traffic and create a cleaner, greener, safer environment for local people.
Find more: https://t.co/BVmFgbPNcc pic.twitter.com/pV8RF2Ngm7
— Warrington Borough Council (@WarringtonBC) May 30, 2022
9 Comments
I still have relatives and friends who live in Orford and I can see it now. “Oh look, we want to go that way as our son lives there. How on earth do we get to it as all roads are blocked off around him”. I am disabled and am unable to leave the car and walk or cycle to his house. Does this mean that I won’t be able to see him and his family in their own home? Can’t see it working for anything but the smaller avenues.
Pity the council don’t look at the changes made,for instance access only roads like Hilden road,still a rat run.why not block it off at one end.
How would you access Smith Crescent from Smith drive/ Hallfield Rd for visiting relatives ?
How can this be making the Air Cleaner? You are making us travel further to get to the same spot. Is that not using more petrol and polluting the air aswell as making everyone spend yet more on petrol due to the extra miles we are now having to travel. People who live on Hallfields Road or Smith Drive or Withers Ave should still be able to have our access
We knew this was going to happen despite the many concerns put to the planners ( all out of town people ) brought in from a consultancy agency when the first informed us back in November last year. Now we find out is is happening via the Warrington Worldwide Website,!!!! How Hans Munday things this is better for the people who live in the Alder Lane area beats me, when we will have to sit in our cars on Winwick Road which is deemed the busiest and most dangerous road in Warrington. Yes the area was busy during Covid but we had a testing centre and a vaccination centre on Jubilee Way. So sorry Warrington Bough Council you have not made our lives better your just making ever user of Winwick Road lives even worse. Well done
Absolute broth brained plnners.I live off Hallows Ave this will result in us having to go to Padgate Lane .Marsh House Lane to get on Battersby Lane to go to town what idiot devised this and councillors passed it needs treatment.
They don’t live in these areas so it will not affect them in the slightest.
“make the area greener” box ticked “hurrah”
“make the area cycle friendly” box ticked “hurrah”.
Rather than address the inadequacies and shortcomings of an infrastructure which Terry O’Neill’s administration recognised and said – nay promised – would be put right before another house was built; Russ Bowden has decided otherwise. Instead his administration has opted to make matters worse by cramming traffic in even greater densities on an already unfit for purpose road system.
I live in the area, to get to anywhere South, I will have to make at least a 1 mile detour and sit in traffic using either Winwick or Orford Road.
Wow! What Einstein thought putting more traffic on 2 already congested roads was greener?