News on Urmston Active Neighbourhood Map

Over the years, motor vehicles have been leading transportation on roads across the UK. Roads have always been designed primarily for cars and goods by expanding highways to improve access, decrease journey time, and widen carriageways. During this time, we have seen a huge increase in car ownership, leading to more vehicles using the road, and the climate suffering as a result, perpetuating this cycle of continuing to make highway improvements for motor vehicles.

However, the highway capacity is not infinite, and the climate is suffering as a result of the pollution of this increase in vehicles on the road. At some point we will need to make changes and prepare for a new mindset that considers alternative methods of travelling, such as walking and cycling which also contributes to a healthier lifestyle.

The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund (MCF) has provided a huge opportunity to change the way we travel in Greater Manchester. Funding of £160m has been allocated from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, representing the first step in £1.5bn planned investment for Greater Manchester. This has enabled Local Authorities to bid for schemes in making infrastructure improvements for walking and cycling across the region.

The One Trafford Partnership, a collaboration between Trafford Council and Amey, has been awarded £11.3m through the MCF bidding process to create an active neighbourhood in the area of Urmston (including Flixton, Davyhulme East and Davyhulme West.) The project known as Urmston Active Neighbourhood aims to encourage people in making walking and cycling a natural choice for shorter journeys, which will improve their health, while improving the air quality in the area.

Our lifestyle choices can be determined by the quality of the infrastructure available to us. The motorway network has improved in quality and size due to years of funding, however at the same time the lack of investment into walking and cycling has meant that this way of travelling hasn’t been recognised as a viable option. But MCF now provides an opportunity to give people more options around the way in which they travel.

We held a launch event on Thursday 23rd January, in Urmston to officially launch the Urmston Active Neighbourhood project and to find out what local people, businesses, community groups and partners (stakeholders) wanted from the scheme. This provided a real opportunity for attendees to discuss their thoughts about the approach and solutions of the proposed Urmston Active Neighbourhood project, before any proposals are prepared.

We have given people a blank canvas to start the conversation on leading a more active lifestyle. This open conversation will encourage the public to avoid using their cars for short journeys and to make their trips by walking or cycling.

I seem to remember a lot more people out and about than I see nowadays, which led to more personal interactions. Nowadays, most of us spend too much time sitting down; at home, in the car, at work, back in the car etc., and we tend to interact socially via online channels. I am convinced that creating pleasant environments to live in will not only improve our physical health and well-being but our mental health too, so I’m excited to be involved in this project.

The Urmston Active Neighbourhood project will help us to understand what barriers people face when choosing to walk or cycle to work, school or the shops, or local businesses looking at alternative ways of making local deliveries. Understanding the problems that residents face, will enable the conversation to find solutions, be it infrastructure improvements in the form of modal filters, dropped crossings, segregated cycle lanes or softer solutions, such as training. Overcoming these barriers will address the highway capacity issues, enhance people’s physical and mental health, alongside improving air quality and reducing pollution for future generations.

Look out for follow on events which are being organised to discuss the outcome of the initial consultation and to provide further opportunities for people to tell us about the changes that they would like to see.

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