Mayor Unveils £57m Investment to Take Walking and Cycling Across Liverpool City Region Up A Gear

MAYOR Steve Rotheram has unveiled a funding package of more than £57m to deliver schemes which will make walking and cycling easier and safer for communities across the Liverpool City Region.

The money is being earmarked for a variety of active travel, highways and regeneration projects supporting sustainable transport, employment and housebuilding in areas including:- Southport, Birkenhead, St Helens and Kirkby.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "Investing in safe, accessible walking and cycling routes is a crucial part of our mission to transform the Liverpool City Region into a place where everyone can thrive. We're taking things up a gear and accelerating forward with a £57 million funding package building on the significant progress we've already made, with over £70 million committed to upgrading our active travel network to date. By making it easier for people to choose walking and cycling, we're not just connecting communities and supporting economic growth we're actively improving the quality of life for everyone in our Region. This investment is another step forward in ourambition to create a world class transport system that delivers a healthier, greener, and better connected future for all."

Funding for projects includes:-

• £22.3m to deliver walking and cycling links as part of the flagship Birkenhead Central Gateway project, which is set to create hundreds of new homes and prime retail space.
   

• £18.8m to improve connectivity east of Southport Town Centre, including:- a new cycleway at Foul Lane, as well as works to improve safety on Kew roundabout.
   

• £10m to develop active travel routes in St Helens to serve the new planned residential and commercial develo pment at Cowley Hill.
   

• £4.5m to improve East Lancashire Road and Junction 4 of the M57 towards south Kirkby, including:- building cycle lanes and widen footpaths.
   

• £2m to improve Peasley Cross junction as part of wider plans to regenerate St Helens Town Centre.

Simon O'Brien, Liverpool City Region Cycling and Walking Commissioner, said:- "It is fantastic to see this new funding being committed to schemes which will make walking and cycling easier and safer across the City Region. Linking communities, reducing carbon emissions, helping people to be healthier; projects like these give us anamazing opportunity to help change the way we think about travelling around our local area."

Investment for the schemes is to be drawn from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), a pot of £710m set aside for major transport infrastructure projects across the Liverpool City Region.

Subject to funding being approved at next week's Combined Authority meeting, construction work on the 1st of the schemes is set to begin later this year

Millions of pounds are also being committed to developing active travel links for the new Liverpool Baltic rail station. Set to open in 2027, the station will serve 1 of the City Region's fastest growing areas and will include features like secure cycle parking and improved accessibility.

The improvements funded by this new cash boost are part of wider plans to deliver a 600km network of walking and cycling routes across the 6 boroughs of the Liverpool City Region:- Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral; with more than 260km set to be delivered by the end of 2026.

Conservative Councillors Vote to Support Pensioners & Limit Council Tax Rises- Labour Vote Against

AT the recent Sefton Council meeting at Southport Town Hall, Conservatives put forward motions to support pensioners with calls to keep the Winter Fuel Allowance and support local households with a proposal to ensure that Council Tax rises are limited to less than 5% unless there is a public vote.

Every single Labour Councillor present voted against supporting pensioners and against any public vote on large Council Tax rises.

Mike Prendergast, Conservative Group Leader on Sefton Council, said:- "Conservatives on Sefton Council, will always stand up and support our pensioners. In Southport we have 20,568 pensioners who could lose their Winter Fuel Allowance, with a further 22,626 in Sefton Central and 12,755 in Bootle. Across the whole of Sefton, that's nearly 56,000 pensioners who will have vital energy support taken from them with little time to adjust and no alternative measure being provided. Even Labour's own research on the issue shows that thousands could die because of the removal of the fuel allowance. All because Labour have made a choice; to take money from pensioners and give it to union members threatening to go on strike. They've prioritised those who donate to their party over those who have voted for them. None of which was in the manifesto during the last General Election.  Targeted letters were sent by Labour during the General Election campaign to many pensioners promising cuts to energy bills and support for pensioners. Many pensioners who voted Labour will now feel betrayed and will be wondering what other nasty shocks Labour might have in store for them.  Will Labour get rid of the single person Council Tax discount, will free bus passes go, what else has Labour got to throw at pensioners? "

Mike Prendergast, Conservative Group Leader on Sefton Council, added:- "Every single Sefton Labour Councillor present at the meeting, including:- the Southport Labour Councillors, voted against supporting pensioners just as every Labour MP in Sefton, including:- Patrick Hurley in Southport, voted to do the same. We also put forward a motion to ensure that Council Tax rises should be limited to less than 5% in Sefton and that anything over that should be subject to a public vote. Labour voted against this too, showing everyone that if given the chance they will look to increase Council Tax by even more than the around 43% they have done since running Sefton Council. Conservatives on Sefton Council will always stand up for our pensioners, local residents and businesses and push back against a Labour Party that's been in power too long in Sefton."