Have Your Say: New Draft Local Cycling and Walk Infrastructure Plan for St Helens Borough

Article date: 7 October 2022

Approved by Cabinet this week, the draft St Helens Borough Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plan is a key part of the council's vision to make the borough an accessible place for people to live, work, invest and thrive by delivering the safe network needed to encourage more people to choose walking or cycling for their journeys.   

Building on successful schemes implemented in recent years, including pop up cycle lanes in Clock Face which result in around 3,000 active trips made every week - as well as the ongoing pioneering St Helens Southern Gateway project - the plan also aims to address major challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis, climate emergency as well as growing physical and mental health pressures.    

As part of its commitment to active travel and achieving net zero by 2040, St Helens Borough Council is leading on a project to install a CYCLOPS (Cycle Optimised Protected Signals) junction in Lea Green, the first of its kind in Merseyside. 

A six-week consultation will launch today (Friday 7 October) to allow residents to share their views.   

St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, Councillor Andy Bowden, said:    

"As a council, we're making a conscious effort to include active travel schemes in all our major highway improvement projects to make it the go-to choice for residents and visitors to our borough for shorter trips which in turn improves health, air quality, tackles congestion, and is one of many initiatives in response to the climate emergency and cost-of-living crisis.   

"We want to ensure that children can independently walk or cycle to school, visit friends or shops on safe infrastructure which was developed with them in mind. We also want to develop a strong and well-connected local economy, because cars should not have to be the only form of transport for residents to access employment opportunities to help residents, businesses, communities, town and district centres prosper. 

"Like any proposal it is important that the public form part of the process which is why we'd welcome any constructive feedback to help strengthen plans and make them the best they can be for all concerned."   

 As part of the consultation exercise, a drop-in event will be held at St Helens Library in the World of Glass Museum between 10:30am-3:30pm on Tuesday 25 October where members of the council's transport team will be able to discuss the plans and hear residents' views.   

Three online workshops via Microsoft Teams will also be held on 3 November (6:00pm), 8 November (7:30pm) and 16 November (8:00pm). If you would like to attend, please register your interest at least 24 hours prior before the start by emailing planningtransport@sthelens.gov.uk   

To take part in the online consultation  - which will close on Sunday 27 November - and view the plan, visit: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/LCWIP