PEOPLE across Cheshire are urged to have their say on a new transport plan designed to boost economic growth over the next 20 years.

Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is consulting on its draft transport strategy, which sets out how transport provision within the region should develop to help create a £50billion-a-year economy by 2040, for the next 12 weeks.

Working with Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester and Warrington councils, the LEP has ‘identified’ the strategic transport priorities that will be essential for achieving the area’s growth plan.

The draft transport strategy identifies the transport investments needed to accommodate for an ‘increase in demand’.

It also seeks to make the best use of existing networks with ‘targeted improvements’ to improve road access to key developments, tackle congestion ‘pinch points’ and improve bus services.

Pete Waterman, Local Transport Body chairman, said: “Ours is already an outstanding economy and we consistently punch above our weight, but we need to go further and faster to reach our true potential.

“Our strategic economic plan sets out an ambitious growth strategy building upon the existing strengths of the sub-region and the dynamic opportunities in key economic corridors and plans for future investment and development.

“The prize to be won is great – thousands of new jobs and homes, improved productivity, doubling the size of our economy and enhancing Cheshire and Warrington as an attractive, aspirational and successful place.”

The draft strategy supports Transport for the North’s wider plans ‘to transform economic growth and support increased transport demands across the north of England and north Wales’.

871candwep.co.uk/resources/draft-transport-strategy