Active travel proposed route: Lea Green to Whiston Hospital

Overview of the full route 

The Lea Green to Whiston Hospital Active Travel Route is proposed between James Roby Way, (formerly the Linkway) at the junction with Elton Head Road and the hospital, and forms part of the adopted local and sub-regional Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan's.

Our Borough Strategy 2021-2030 highlights the council's aspiration to increase levels of walking and cycling across the borough, thereby improving health, boosting access to employment and education, and tackling the climate emergency. Successful delivery of the council's adopted Local Plan, Highways Asset Management Strategy, Active Lives Strategy, Climate Response Plan, Air Quality Action Plan and Town Centre Masterplan Development Frameworks, amongst other strategies, will all contribute to increasing the proportion of local trips taken by walking, cycling and wheeling.

The proposals run along Elton Head Road from the James Roby Way, to Rainhill Road, past St John Vianney Catholic Primary School, and at the Black Horse Inn the route turns into Ellerslie Avenue, continuing along Two Butt Lane to Holt Lane. The route then runs along Holt Lane, Longview Road, and Longview Avenue before linking to Whiston Hospital.

The proposals include speed reductions, improved street lighting, new crossings for people walking, cycling and wheeling, and protected cycle tracks to separate users from vehicles.

You can view the   plans for the proposals (PDF) [6MB] (opens new window)  and find answers to frequently asked questions . frequently asked questions (PDF) [254KB] (opens new window) .

Consultation Background

Following consultations held with the community on outline proposals for the full route (Lea Green to our western borough boundary), local residents, businesses and stakeholders have helped to shape the project and have a say on the designs from an early stage. As such, an in-person consultation event was held in August 2022, alongside an online survey, online consultation event and intercept survey to ask the community about the outline design proposals.  

Key results

• 57% of respondents supported the idea of having a protected cycle route along Elton Head Road, between Sherdley Road and Rainhill Road (only 32% disagreed and 11% with no preference).

• 63% of respondents agreed with extending parking restrictions in the vicinity of St John Vianney Catholic Primary School to make the road safer for pedestrians and cyclists (only 20% disagreed and 17% with no preference).

The feedback from the previous consultations have helped to inform the final designs. The percentages provided are based on a subset of the total questions as not all questions were completed by participants, and nil responses classified as no preference.

Progress to Date 

Due to the length of the route, the project has been divided into distinct phases, with delivery scaled to funding availability. The Council working with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority have successfully secured funding from the Department for Transport's Active Travel Fund, to deliver phase one of improvements, with funding still to be secured for the further future stages.

To find a summary of the consultation results and comments that have helped to inform the final designs for Phase 1 visit ' Active Travel Route: Lea Green to Whiston Hospital – Phase 1: You Said, We Listened’ (PDF) [1MB]

Phase 1 - Elton Head Road (West of St John Vianney Catholic Primary School to the East of Sherdley Road)

The first phase which we have secured funding for connects into the works at the Bloor Homes Development on Elton Head Road (east of Sherdley Road) to the west of St John Vianney Catholic Primary School.

The final proposals for Phase 1 include the following measures:

• A fully protected cycle track along the northern side of Elton Head Road 
•  A traffic signal controlled parallel crossing on Sherdley Road 
• The existing traffic signals at Sutton Heath Road junction removed and replaced with a new set of signals 
• The installation of a toucan crossing outside the school, which is being upgraded from the current puffin crossing 
• Kerbside parking restrictions introduced in the vicinity of the school 
• Introduction of a speed limit reduction from 30mph to 20mph to improve pedestrian safety around the school, from the western boundary of the Boars Head to 30 metres west of Swan Gardens  
• Resurfacing of the footways along the northern side of Elton Head Road, and additional sections of the southern footway, particularly at the Sutton Heath Road junction 
• Drainage installation works 
• Installation of new cycle parking and bench seating at various locations 

The final designs for phase 1 can be shown through the engagement drawing below (click to enlarge), which highlights the active travel route from east of Sherdley Road to the west of St John Vianney Catholic Primary School.  

Next Steps

A further round of community engagement will take place on Thursday 18th July 2024 from 3pm to 7pm at St John Vianney Catholic Primary School, Elton Head Road, St Helens, WA9 5BT, to share details of the final designs for phase one of the Lea Green to Whiston Hospital route. George Cox and Sons Ltd has been appointed by us to construct the scheme, with scheme construction scheduled to start from late Summer 2024 and completion by Winter 2024.

The drop-in engagement session will allow the community and local stakeholders to understand the plans, with council officers available to answer any questions.