Consultations open on local transport and parking

Public consultations have launched across Cheshire East to inform future proposals for local transport and parking in towns across the borough.

The consultations will seek to engage with communities, towns, elected members and other stakeholders such as local businesses, to inform future changes to improve to transport and parking provision in towns across Cheshire East. The results of the exercise will be used to inform Cheshire East Council’s future local transport plans, and will focus around the following five themes:

• Accessibility for all – considering all travel needs;
• Sustainability – improving walking, cycling and public transport;
• Quality of the public realm – managing traffic to support town centres and the visitor economy;
• Better neighbourhoods – improving amenities where people live; and
• Connectivity – the strategic links needed to access work, education and essential services, such as hospitals.

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Cllr Craig Browne, deputy leader of Cheshire East Council, said:

This consultation is an opportunity for us to work together and get the right blend of local transport provision in the right places.

“Alongside these plans, we are also developing town centre vitality plans for our key service centres, helping us to better understand and respond to local needs. “We must also consider the potential longer-term impacts of Covid-19. This may include using our spaces differently to enable social distancing, more reliance on active travel and public transport, as well as increased home working.”

Cllr Laura Crane, Cheshire East Council cabinet members for highways and waste, said:

The local transport plan sets out a need for greater harmonisation of parking arrangements across Cheshire East, during the period 2020 to 2025.

“The parking consultation, alongside the development of town vitality plans, will engage many stakeholders to ensure we have a broad strategy moving forward, taking into account the economic, environmental and community elements that car parking brings.”

Further information about the consultations, and details of how to take part is available from the Cheshire East Council website.