New Southport cycle lanes could be extended through Birkdale, Churchtown and Crossens

A new North-South cycling route through Southport could soon be extended through Birkdale, Churchtown and Crossens. 

Sefton Council contractors are currently carrying out roadworks to restrict car use and make life easier for cyclists and pedestrians on a route starting near Hesketh Park and running along Queens Road, Hoghton Street, Chapel Street, Tulketh Street, Wesley Street and Talbot Street. 

It involved blocking access for cars; creating pop-up cycle lanes; removing pay and display spaces; and reversing the ban on cycling in some pedestrianised areas of Southport town centre. 

If Phase One of the scheme proves successful, then a report would go back to Sefton Council in six months which could see the changes become permanent. 

Phase Two could then see the works extended out towards Birkdale, Churchtown and Crossens. 

The changes are being made following the increase in people cycling and walking since the Coronavirus outbreak struck the UK in March.

In his report to councillors, Sefton Council Head of Highways and Public Protection Peter Moore said: “Phase Two proposals, which could be considered as part of Tranche 2, could see this route extended both north and south to serve a wider area of the town, to the south along Alma Road to Birkdale and York Road and Trafalgar Road to Smedley Hydro and to the north along the A565 to connect Churchtown and Crossens to the town centre.”Work is currently taking place to make roads in UK towns and cities more cycle and pedestrian friendly under the Government’s £250million DfT Emergency Active Travel Fund. 

Funding of £590,457 for Sefton Council for schemes in Southport and Bootle has been provided via the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Combined Authority Active Travel Emergency Fund.

Read More: Pop-up cycle lane proposals for Lord Street in Southport rejected in favour of alternative scheme

Peter Moore wrote: “The principal aim of the proposals in Southport is to provide a safer North- South cycling route for people wishing to travel through the town, access areas of employment, education and retail and offer an alternative to public transport.

“The measures have been chosen so that the scheme can be implemented within the timeframe on which the funding has been provided, have the capability of becoming permanent with relatively little further investment and be complementary to potential further cycle measures.”

In Southport, Phase One of the scheme begins at the junction of Park Lane and Queen’s Road to the north of Southport town centre with a ban on through traffic to all users except buses, cyclists and emergency services.

From the Queen’s Road junction with Manchester Road the route continues along Hoghton Street, passing Southport College, with new pop-up cycle lanes segregated from the traffic. This would require suspension of the Pay and Display bays along Houghton Street to facilitate this. At the end of Hoghton Street the route would continue along the pedestrianised section of Chapel Street, turning left into the pedestrianised section of Tulketh Street, before turning right into Wesley Street. 

At the end of Wesley Street, the route crosses Eastbank Street. It is proposed to facilitate this initially through a set of temporary traffic lights, incorporating the adjacent pedestrian crossing, although a permanent arrangement could be installed in the longer term.

Upon crossing Eastbank Street, the route enters Talbot Street. From here the route continues along Talbot Street, crossing Portland street and Duke Street until it reaches Aughton Road. This would be facilitated through the introduction of either modal filters which allow for walking and cycling or opposing one-way sections of road to reduce through traffic along these predominantly residential roads.

Cllr John Fairclough, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Locality Services said: “Our vision for Sefton is a confident and connected borough, where people can enjoy the use of many cycle and walking friendly routes, where we all work together to keep Sefton clean and green with a commitment to low pollution and better air quality.

“The Emergency Active Travel Fund will allow us to make changes to two routes in Sefton, one in Southport and one in Bootle which will encourage cycling and walking and make significant improvements to our streets to enable people to use cars less and move around in a different way.”

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