A former Warrington mayor has renewed his calls for action to make a narrow country lane safer – warning that Delph Lane is facing increasing pressure as major housing developments are built in the surrounding area.
Former Mayor Geoff Settle first raised concerns about the safety of Delph Lane with Warrington Worldwide two years ago, calling for the road to be closed to pedestrians because of what he described as dangerous conditions.
Now he says many of the problems he highlighted in 2024 remain – while thousands of new homes are planned or being built in the wider area and additional traffic is expected to use the surrounding road network.
Delph Lane is a narrow historic country road running between the Mill Lane/Peel Hall area and Myddleton Lane.
Mr Settle says he regularly carries out informal traffic observations and continues to see heavy goods vehicles using the lane and motorists overtaking in what he considers dangerous circumstances.
He has also raised concerns about the lack of pedestrian provision along parts of the road.
Mr Settle says the condition and layout of the road need to be addressed before further housing development places additional pressure on the surrounding network.
He says the problems he has identified include:
* A new roundabout near Mill Lane, Hough Green and the Mill House, which he believes needs clearer warning signs because of its tight approach.
* Three existing SLOW road markings, which he says have become difficult to see.
* A further sandstone wall at a farm which has been demolished following an incident.
* A sign at the Delph Lane/Myddleton Lane junction which he says was replaced after previous concerns were raised, with a sign directing traffic towards a new development.
* Vehicles overtaking near the bottom of the hill despite the road’s restricted visibility.
* Potholes repeatedly reappearing on Delph Lane at the motorway bridge, which he believes points to a fundamental problem with the road surface or structure.
* Trees requiring further cutting back.
* A lack of pavement along a substantial stretch of the lane.
* Continued use of the road by heavy vehicles despite a 7.5-tonne weight restriction, with Mr Settle claiming some vehicles have become stuck at the Myddleton Lane end.
* Persistent flooding at the Delph Lane/Myddleton Lane junction.
* Further flooding around the farmland bend.
* A road traffic collision at the Delph Lane/Myddleton Lane junction several months ago.
Mr Settle also says he has observed what he estimates to be between 800 and 1,000 vehicles during rush hours, which he says is comparable with traffic levels on Crab Lane.
Those figures are his own traffic observations rather than official council traffic counts.
Questions over traffic monitoring
Mr Settle says he has also noticed at least three traffic-counting exercises near the United Utilities pumping station.
He says he submitted a Freedom of Information request to establish who was carrying out the counts but was unable to establish who was responsible.
He says the information supplied to him included a count around the Mill House roundabout, where a previous collision involving a car driven by a person subsequently suspected of drug-driving had occurred.
Mr Settle has also raised concerns about off-road vehicles using the area, although he says he cannot discuss details of one particular incident because police have advised him not to do so while enquiries continue.
The concerns come as Warrington continues to plan for significant housing growth.
The council is currently updating its Local Plan following the Government’s increased housing requirement. It says the purpose of the plan is to ensure that future development is supported by the necessary infrastructure, including transport, community services and green spaces.
The wider area has already been the subject of major development proposals.
The Peel Hall proposals, for example, include substantial residential development together with associated infrastructure, while Delph Lane forms part of the existing road network around the development area. Earlier planning documents identified concerns about the capacity of Delph Lane and surrounding roads to accommodate additional traffic.
Other housing proposals in the wider north Warrington area have also generated concerns about the capacity of existing narrow rural roads.
One representation submitted during the Local Plan process described Delph Lane as having no capacity to be widened, with sections lacking pavements and concerns about the ability of the road network to cope with additional traffic.
Mr Settle says his concern is that improvements to the surrounding road network must keep pace with development rather than being left until problems become critical.
He believes the recently opened roundabout should have clearer advance warning for drivers because of the tight approach and says the condition of Delph Lane needs much greater attention.
His latest observations also come as the council begins the next stages of its updated Local Plan, which will determine how Warrington accommodates further housing and where future development takes place.
The council says its updated plan is intended to help ensure that new development happens in the right places and is supported by the infrastructure needed by growing communities.
Mr Settle said: “Two years on, many of the issues I raised are still there. Delph Lane is a narrow ancient country lane and every time I carry out a traffic count I see heavy vehicles using it and cars overtaking in dangerous ways.”
He added that while the new roundabout may help slow traffic, he believes clearer warning signs and further safety measures are needed.
