St Helens Borough Council, working with partners in the transport sector, have secured £14.8m to deliver the St Helens Southern Gateway scheme which will see significant improvements to the borough’s transport network, with an emphasis on sustainable forms of transport.
The council will deliver £4.8m of improvements to encourage safer cycling routes and to make walking routes safer, all helping people to get to and from Lea Green Station, opening the wider region to residents.
The funding – allocated from the Liverpool City Region Transforming Cities Fund – will be used to introduce six new cycle routes and improve the junction at the Bull and Dog roundabout to improve safety for all road users.
Previously called the Eastern Region Interchange and Connectivity (ERIC) – the St Helens Southern Gateway works will improve access by bike and on foot in the area. The wider funding envelope will upgrade the existing rail station at Lea Green and increase the capacity of the park and ride facility.
Welcoming the ability to invest in green routes, which was formally approved at a virtual cabinet meeting this week, Lisa Harris, St Helens Borough Council’s Executive Director of Place Services, said:
“As a council we’re always looking to make active travel like walking and cycling an easier option – particularly for shorter trips –
which is evident through a number of recent improvements schemes we’ve carried out during the past year. This includes a new Toucan crossing on Boardmans Lane and an increase in cyclists using the protected cycle lanes at Chester Lane, Jubits Lane and Clock Face Road, which is great to see.
“With funding now in place for the St Helens Southern Gateway project, we can further boost the borough’s emerging active travel network, helping us achieve our key priorities for the borough which include promoting good health and supporting a strong, diverse and well-connected local economy – as well as tackling climate change through reduced emissions.”
Shane Fitzpatrick, the Combined Authority’s Interim Director for Integrated Transport and lead officer for the Transforming Cities Fund, said:
“Investing in integrated transport schemes that include cycling and walking in additional to infrastructure projects such as new station buildings is a top priority for us. The more we can do to encourage people to use sustainable modes of transport the better and the planned improvements at Lea Green station are a great example of this.”
For more information on the scheme, visit: https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/eric
