LESS than two weeks remain for Middlewich residents to have their say on plans for the town’s eastern bypass.

Consultation on Cheshire East Council’s planning application for the £58 million road between Pochin Way and Booth Lane comes to an end on January 8, 2019.

Cllr Mike Hunter, Labour member of Middlewich Town Council, spoke up at this month’s full CEC meeting about the need for the bypass.

He says that CEC’s Conservative leadership was ‘very receptive’ to his comments – but now is the time for residents to have their say on the long-awaited road.

“It is really imperative that as many people from Middlewich as possible comment on the bypass,” he said.

“This is the planning stage and you can write in support of the bypass as well to object, and it is really important that people do make their voices heard.

“We have put in a lot of hard work over the past five to six years to get the bypass on the agenda.

“The more people that write in support of the bypass, the more pressure it puts on CEC to end the misery of traffic problems that we have throughout the town.”

Cllr Hunter is waiting on a written response from Cllr Rachel Bailey, leader of CEC, after he called for a number of assurances from the local authority on the bypass.

He wants to be sure that funding will be secured, that construction will start at Booth Lane and that a link road for lorries between Cledford Lane and the bypass will be complete.

Cllr Hunter also wants see the bypass completed before new developments are occupied, and a raft of safety measures introduced in town – including a ban on HGVs in Lewin Street and pavement upgrades at the White Horse.

Middlewich Town Council endorsed the call for improvements around Lewin Street at this month’s meeting – with Cllr Jean Eaton, Middlewich First, raising concerns about narrow footpaths.

Cllr Hunter added: “We have to look at this as the beginning of the process, not the end, because we eventually want to get the bypass continued to Winsford.”

It is currently expected that CEC’s strategic planning board will make a decision on the Middlewich eastern bypass application at a meeting on February 27.

To view the plans and have your say, search for ’18/5833C’ on CEC’s planning website.