Decision

The Cabinet Member for Parks, Highways and Transport Services has given approval to the revised package of measures for the A34MRN Corridor Improvement Plan – Scheme 7 (to be funded by the Department for Transport as part of the £33.6million MRN grant awarded to Stockport Council in November 2023) as detailed in the report and comprising the following:-

·         The proposed 3-3.5m wide, surfaced and lit path between Bruntwood Lane just north of Bruntwood Cottages to connect to the paths at Cheadle Royal Roundabout.

·         The proposed spur off the path and a new raised crossing point on the access road to provide a pedestrian and cycle route from the new path to The Kiosk.

·         The proposed spur off the path to provide a pedestrian and cycle link from the new path to the car park. This spur would also serve as an occasional access for maintenance vehicles.

·         The widened section of path adjacent to the Cheadle Catholic Junior/Primary school access/egress to create a waiting area and associated signing.

·         Resurfacing of the full length of the path between Cheadle Royal and the Bruntwood Park access road from Schools Hill.

Alternative options considered

A number of alternative options were assessed before identifying the preferred route through Bruntwood Park. These included:
• The originally approved A34 corridor alignment, which was discounted due to significant engineering, drainage, environmental and construction constraints that resulted in increased cost and delivery risk.
• An on-highway route via Etchells Road and Wilmslow Road, which would have required substantial junction and highway modifications and was considered prohibitively expensive.
• A route through council-owned land south of the retail park, which was discounted due to challenging ground conditions and potential ecological impacts.
• A route through the Sainsbury's/John Lewis retail park, which was discounted due to potential conflict with vehicles, impacts on parking provision and dependency on third-party landowner agreements.
• An alignment following the existing Bruntwood Park access road, which was less direct and presented greater potential for conflict between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.
• A western boundary route through Bruntwood Park, which was discounted due to greater impacts on trees, habitats and wildlife.

The preferred Bruntwood Park alignment was subsequently identified as offering the best balance between deliverability, environmental impact, user experience and value for money whilst maintaining the strategic connectivity objectives of the A34 MRN programme.