New cycling and walking scheme to get £17m funding

More than £17.5m for the first phase of a major new sustainable transport scheme has been announced by Liverpool City Region's mayor Steve Rotheram.

The money will be used to install new cycle routes and footpaths as well as improve pedestrian crossings in east Runcorn.

The East Runcorn Connectivity scheme is part of wider plans to deliver a 600km network of walking and cycling routes across the six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region (LCR).

Mr Rotheram said the project was a "key part" of his plans to build a London-style public transport network that offered people an "efficient alternative to driving their car".

Plans for further phases of the east Runcorn project are currently in development at Halton Council and are expected to be submitted to the combined authority later this year.

Funding is to be drawn from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a pot of £710m set aside for major transport infrastructure projects across LCR.

The funding is subject to approval at this month's combined authority meeting, construction work on the scheme is set to begin this summer, with plans for completion by autumn 2026.

The new link in Runcorn is part of wider plans to deliver a 600km network of walking and cycling routes across the six boroughs of LCR – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral – with more than 260km set to be delivered by the end of 2026.

Mr Rotheram said the new scheme would "create new, green transport connections across the area, joining up new and existing developments such as Sci-Tech Daresbury [and] the new Daresbury Garden Village".

"It is a key part of my plan to build a London-style public transport network that is faster, cheaper, cleaner, better connected and, crucially, gives people a quality and efficient alternative to driving their car," he said.

"The more people we can encourage people to walk or cycle, particularly for short journeys, the faster we can hit our net zero targets, reduce congestion on our roads and improve the quality of air we breathe."

Councillor Stef Nelson, Halton Borough Council's executive board member for environment and renewal, said he looked forward to seeing the scheme "up and running".

Simon O'Brien, LCR cycling and walking commissioner, added: "Linking communities, reducing carbon emissions, helping people to be healthier – schemes like this one give us an amazing opportunity to help change the way we think about travelling around our local area."

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