Cheshire East Council has been asked to undertake a feasibility study on improving the cycling network in Congleton.

Councillors debated the traffic free cycle lanes into and out of Congleton agenda item at Thursday's Congleton Town Council meeting of Community, Environment and Services Committee, which was conducted by Zoom.

Cllr Suzie Akers Smith felt that there wasn't enough traffic free cycling infrastructure within Congleton that creates safety and makes residents want to cycle into town.

The cycling and walking champion for Cheshire East Council told the committee that over 60% of vehicle journeys are under one mile.

Cllr Akers Smith: "If we provide traffic free infrastructure, a percentage of people will want to cycle with their children, families and friends, reducing the amount of vehicles on our roads, congestion and making space for people that cannot cycle or walk very far."

With the latest government investment of £5billion, Cllr Akers Smith feels that there is a "massive" opportunity for Congleton to apply for funding to create a network of traffic free cycle routes and cycle lanes linking the whole of Congleton to the town centre, schools, the leisure centre and green open spaces through active travel.

The Covid-19 emergency measures have given councils with responsibility for highways the opportunity to introduce temporary cycle lanes.

Cllr Akers Smith added: "A lot of people tell me they would cycle if it was safe to do so, if we provide safety, they will ditch the car and try it."

One of the proposals from Cllr Akers Smith included temporary cycle lanes being implemented along Mountbatten Way from the Aldi roundabout to Park Lane junction, which would allow people to cycle into the town centre.

Cllr Akers Smith's proposal was to ask Cheshire East to evaluate the feasibility of temporary or permanent cycle ways along roads:

• Both sides of Mountbatten Way

• Rood Hill, Clayton Bypass, Buxton Road, Park Lane, Leek Road and Canal Street

If the temporary measures did prove a success, they could be made permanent, but Cllr Akers Smith claimed it was about giving people a "choice".

Cllr Amanda Martin told the committee that she wouldn't be supporting the proposal because she felt taking a lane away from Rood Hill for cyclists would cause the congestion to get worse.

Cllr David Brown was keen to highlight the current cycling routes into the town centre via Astbury Mere and Park Lane.

With the Congleton Link Road expected to open by the end of the year, Cllr Brown felt that the cycling situation on Rood Hill would be "totally different" and he felt a cycling evaluation right now could be "premature" and would be better served being deferred until the link road is open.

Cllr Akers Smith responded: "With the link road comes another 10,000 residents, which is another 7,000 vehicles. It's a temporary solution, the ultimate solution is to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. The link road isn't going to stop congestion when everybody moves into the 4,500 houses."

Cllr Robert Douglas felt that many of the roads suggested were too narrow to have cycle lanes implemented and he was surprised to see Canal Street listed as it is "hardly wide enough for two cars to go past".

Cllr Martin Amies, a regular cyclist around Congleton, echoed concerns about the proposed roads and claimed "to carve a lump off the road is almost ludicrous", however, he earmarked the wide verges on Rood Hill as potentially being investigated for shared space instead of restricting road traffic.

The meeting was told by Cllr Robert Hemsley that the focus should be steering cyclists away from the main roads and safely diverting them onto the minor roads.

Cllr Martin felt it wouldn't be a good idea to list roads that the town council knew were unsuitable and too narrow to Cheshire East because it would make them look "stupid".

Cllr Akers Smith modified her proposal and took out all mention of any specific roads, it was changed to asking Cheshire East to look at the feasibility of improving the cycling network and getting around the town whilst listing the various locations residents may wish to use.

Chair of the committee, Cllr Kay Wesley seconded the revised proposal and the motion was carried.

This comes after Congleton Town Council supported six recommendations of the town's Integrated Transport Group, chaired by Cllr Akers Smith, for temporary and experimental changes to make Congleton safer whilst social distancing is required due to Covid-19 and to give confidence for more people to come into the town.