ANOTHER step has been taken on the long road towards Middlewich’s eastern bypass after Cheshire East Council submitted its planning application.

A proposal to build a two-way, single carriageway road from Pochin Way to Booth Lane now rests with planning chiefs, while Middlewich residents can have their say on the scheme.

CEC’s highways department has submitted 168 pages of plans for the £58 million road – complete with details of its design, drainage and impact on the environment.

“I’m very relieved to see that the application has gone in,” said Cllr Bernice Walmsley, CEC member for Middlewich.

 

“There has been a lot of work that has gone in to it – a lot of surveys and consultations – it is not something that has happened overnight.

“It is a really complex, technical application and I’m really pleased to see it get to this stage.”

CEC received £46.8 million from the Government for the Middlewich eastern bypass last October.

The remainder of the funding will come from the council and contributions from up to five major developments in the area – with £687,540 already secured from the expansion of the neighbouring MA6NITUDE business park, which was approved on October 24.

With consultation on the plans now open, Cllr Mike Hunter, Labour member of Middlewich Town Council, believes residents should make their voices heard.

“We at Middlewich Labour call on the residents of Middlewich to add their own voices to the pressure on CEC,” he said.

 

“This planning application still needs to be approved, and we still don’t have all the money we need. The borough council needs to know how much we need this bypass.”

In its planning statement, CEC says that the proposed eastern bypass is a ‘key highway infrastructure project’ for the local authority.

It said: “The need for an eastern bypass of Middlewich has been acknowledged for many years, following the development of a scheme by Cheshire County Council in the early 1990s.

“Completion of the proposed bypass will provide traffic routes to avoid the town centre and enable access to the Midpoint 18 [MA6NITUDE] strategic employment site.

“Overall, the proposed scheme will lead to a significant improvement in social, economic and environmental conditions in and around Middlewich.”

Residents can have their say on the planning application until January 2, 2019, and a decision is expected to be made at the strategic planning board meeting on February 27, 2019.

To view the planning application, search for ‘18/5833C’ on CEC’s planning website.