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One Trafford Partnership (a collaboration between Amey Plc and Trafford Council) has launched an interactive web-based tool to continue engagement with local residents, businesses, community groups and stakeholders on the walking and cycling proposals for the Urmston Active Neighbourhood project.

The scheme is part of the Bee Network vision proposed by Chris Boardman, Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner to make Greater Manchester an easier place for people to get around on foot or by bike. In support of this ambition, the Mayor of Greater Manchester allocated £160 million to the Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund (MCF), which the team at One Trafford Partnership were successful in securing circa £11.3m through a bidding process, to develop an active neighbourhood across the region.

The engagement exercise follows on from the Urmston Active Neighbourhood launch event earlier this year which invited residents and businesses to attend and have their say on developing proposals, to improve Urmston (including Flixton, Davyhulme East and Davyhulme West) as a place to live, work and visit. Approx. 600 people attended the event, which kick-started the consultation and also included the launch of the engagement website, that was used to gather feedback from the community on the changes that they wanted in their local wards. Approx. 3,400 comments were received that have now been analysed by the project team to create initial proposals for the scheme.

Despite the Covid-19 restrictions, the project team have progressed the project and want to give the community a chance to feedback on the initial proposals. Using virtual reality, a web-based room has been created to replicate what would be expected visually at an engagement event. The room can be accessed using a computer or an android phone and showcases consultation materials via pop-up banners, sound demonstrations, videos, maps, example drawings and much more.

Councillor Stephen Adshead, Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change, at Trafford Council said: “In the current climate and unforeseen challenges, it is important for the council to continue public engagement, especially on projects that promote active lifestyles. This virtual reality platform will help us to bring communities together during a time where it is not safe for vulnerable groups to leave the house.

“Following the launch of this platform we will consider utilising similar tools to continue our focus on digitalising community engagement, working alongside our partner Amey Plc.”

The pioneering platform allows for feedback so public reaction can be captured and a chat function is also accessible which allows further engagement with the project team and local Ward Councillors, who will be on hand to discuss the proposals and answer any queries.

Steve Tilby, Principal Engineer, at One Trafford Partnership said: “Using digital engagement tools will help us to reach the wider community so that they can understand what we are proposing and communicate their concerns without leaving their own homes.

“Amid the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, we are doing everything we can to help ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, maintain operational resilience and provide solutions that can help the community across Trafford.”

The Urmston Active Neighbourhood project is the largest walking and cycling scheme across Greater Manchester. The project team at One Trafford Partnership are hopeful that using similar platforms for the other MCF schemes within the borough will provide a resilient solution for future consultation processes.

Greater Manchester's Cycling and Walking Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said: "It's fantastic to see high levels of engagement with this project and well done to Trafford Council for continuing to make every effort to work with residents during this lockdown period. Active Neighbourhoods can bring a wealth of benefits to communities, creating quieter and safer streets for play, walking and travelling by bike as well as boosting local high streets."

The project team are currently working on proposals which are being created from the comments and data received via the engagement site for the Urmston Active Neighbourhood Project.

Due to Covid-19 we are unable to hold any further engagement events at this moment in time but we are pleased to announce that the first batch of ideas will be presented over the coming weeks and proposals will be shared via the engagement site and other communications channels. This will give us an opportunity to hear your thoughts on the initial proposals and gather further feedback.

The initial consultation for Urmston's Active Neighbourhood project has come to a close but we would like to thank everyone who added their comments via our engagement site.

We received approx. 3,400 comments which will now be analysed by the project team and presented as proposals for the scheme.

Watch this space for more information soon on how we will be presenting the proposals.

There is still time to have your say in creating more walking and cycling routes across Urmston (including Flixton, Davyhulme East and Davyhulme West). We want to know about the changes, the approach and the solutions that you would like to see in creating proposals for this scheme.

The initial consultation period will come to an end tonight.

Don't forget to have your say in creating more walking and cycling routes across Urmston (including Flixton, Davyhulme East and Davyhulme West). We want to know about the changes, the approach and the solutions that you would like to see in creating proposals for this scheme. The initial consultation period will come to an end at 5pm on Wednesday 25 March.

Last week, the Mayor’s Challenge Fund (MCF) project team at One Trafford Partnership (a collaboration between Trafford Council and Amey), were invited to present the success of their Urmston Active Neighbourhood project, at Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) Bee Informed event.

Hosted by TfGM and Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Chris Boardman, the event was attended by Local Authorities and Councillors from the 10 districts across Greater Manchester.

The health and well-being of everyone in Trafford is always a top priority for Trafford Council and that’s why we will be cancelling the follow-on Urmston Active Neighbourhood engagement event on Thursday 19 March to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.

Help us develop proposals for the Urmston Active Neighbourhood project at our next engagement event taking place on Thursday 19 March, from 11am until 5pm, at Urmston Library, 34 Golden Way, Urmston, Greater Manchester, M41 0NA.

Last week, the Urmston Active Neighbourhood project was launched by One Trafford Partnership at an event which invited local residents, businesses, community groups and stakeholders to have their say on designing walking and cycling routes across Urmston (including Flixton, Davyhulme East and Davyhulme West.)

The project is being led by One Trafford Partnership, a collaboration between Trafford Council and Amey, who through the Mayor’s Challenge Fund bidding process will be developing an active neighbourhood across the region, circa £11.3m.

Over 500 people attended the event to have their say on creating proposals for the new scheme. Opening speeches including key aims of the project were delivered by Chris Morris, Director of Highways, Transport and Environment, at Trafford Council, Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Catherine Hynes and Greater Manchester Cycling and Walking Commissioner, Chris Boardman.

The event was also supported by local Ward Councillors, Greater Manchester Police, representatives from local cycling and walking groups and offered a variety of engagement activities:

Executive Councillor for Environment, Air Quality and Climate Change, Cllr Stephen Adshead, said: “It was wonderful to see that so many people attended the event to be part of this project which will deliver vast benefits and encourage people in making walking and cycling a natural choice for shorter journeys. This will improve their health, while also improving the air quality in the area.

“The investment plan introduced by the Greater Manchester’s Mayor is a huge opportunity for us to change the way we travel in Trafford. The funding will enable us to work with partners and make infrastructure improvements that are needed for walking and cycling across the region.”

This week, Mayor Andy Burnham and Cycling and Walking Commissioner, Chris Boardman launched the Cycling and Walking investment plan; a ten-year delivery plan for the Bee Network, including a call to Government for a funding commitment for the 1,800 mile, £1.5bn network.

So far, in total Trafford has seven schemes in development, which will be delivered as part of the Bee Network over the next ten years. The schemes include a number of new and improved routes and crossings across the borough which will make cycling and walking for shorter journeys easier and safer.

Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Chris Boardman, said: “With one-in-three car journeys in Greater Manchester being less than 1 kilometre, it’s clear we have to change. It’s impacting our air, our health and the place we ’ re expecting our children to grow up, get on and grow old.

“I was blown away by the enthusiasm in Urmston for their first active neighbourhood event. Well done to all involved, it gives us huge motivation to get stuck in and make changes that local residents want to see.”

Additional consultation events will be held across the wards in Urmston to further engage with the community on developing proposals for the new scheme.

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.

Councillor Cath Hynes, Deputy Leader of Trafford Council and Chris Boardman, Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner discuss their views on the importance of an active neighbourhood.