Improving walking, wheeling and cycling access in Northwich
Cheshire West and Chester Council has been awarded Active Travel England funding to deliver an active travel route from Northwich town centre (Venables Street/Witton Street junction) to Northwich railway station.
Your views
Thank you to everyone who took part in the public engagement in November and December in 2023. Two hundred people took part in our online survey and we had more than 50 people give comments at the drop in sessions at Brio Memorial Court.
Other feedback has also been gathered to understand the practicalities of the proposed routes, including comments by email, social media and a range of meetings with stakeholders.
Feedback from the engagement activity has been analysed and is informing the development of detailed designs. Two routes were proposed and the intention is to deliver both of these.
Local residents suggested additional changes to some roads on Route A and Route B. These were consulted on in October 2024 and we are now advertising Traffic Regulation Orders on street and in the local press for these proposed changes, with a deadline for responses of 10 March 2025.
What are the two routes?
Route A along Station Road/Witton Street
Provides a direct pedestrian route along Station Road, across Chester Way on to Witton Street to the town centre. For cyclists, a reduced speed limit to 20mph would improve the on-road route, but high traffic levels would remain. Due to site and budget constraints, we have removed the proposed changes to the existing pedestrian crossing on Station Road at the roundabout/shops.
Route B along Victoria Road and Kingsway
Provides an on-road cycle route with pedestrian improvements along Victoria Road (with a proposed pedestrian crossing at the primary school) and Kingsway (proposed to be one way). A new crossing over Chester
Way to Church Road leads on to Witton Street to the town centre. For cyclists, this would be a quieter on-road route with less traffic, however it is less direct to reach the town centre.
Project aims
The project aims to support more people to make short trips by walking, wheeling and cycling by improving accessibility to the main retail areas of the town centre. Northern Rail and Sustrans have recently completed improvements works at the rail station, including a separate pedestrian and cycling route through the car park to the station building.
Key aspects include:
- Improved pedestrian crossing points at side roads
- Reduced speed limits to make on-road cycling safer
- New signalised crossing for pedestrians and cyclists over Chester Way
- Improved public realm and junction at Venables Way
- New cycle parking
Indicative programme:
- Active Travel England review of designs – completed 2024
- Detailed design progressing – scheduled for completion April 2025
- Construction scheduled for April to June 2025
Active Travel is about travelling to different places, usually by either walking, cycling or wheeling. This is typically for short or local journeys. Not only does this have great environmental benefits such as reduced carbon emissions, it also helps you get out and about.
This project aims to create a safer route for walking, wheeling and cycling, helping to improve and create a more accessible route from Northwich railway station to the town centre.