Councillors back plans for Airport Relief Road

Town hall bosses in Stockport have backed plans for the airport relief road. Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee met on Thursday, January 16 at 6.30pm in Bramhall Village Club, Melbourne Road.

The application has been discussed at extraordinary meetings with both Cheadle and Stepping Hill voting in favour of the £290m road.

Cheadle’s councillors voted unanimously while at Stepping Hill the vote was won 5-3.

The application has been debated at Marple and Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme South.

The council’s planning and highways committee will then debate the plans next Wednesday before the application is referred to the secretary of state for final approval.

At Stepping Hill Area Committee Labour councillor Laura Booth and Conservatives councillor John Smith and councillor William Wragg opposed the plans.

Councillor Wragg has been campaigning for a review of the current planning application on behalf of residents who wanted an underpass at the Macclesfield Road junction instead of the proposed crossroads junction.

Speaking at the Cheadle Area Committee Councillor Paul Progess said:” The affect on the area in terms of the predicted relief on traffic is highly welcomed as is the cycling provision the road will have.”

Councillor Peter Burns added:”This plan has been around since the 1930s. It will have a tremendous affect on Heald Green in a positive way. It will remove traffic congestion and improve air quality.”

The proposed road would link the A6 at Hazel Grove to Manchester Airport and then link to the M56 via the existing A555.

The government has pledged £165m towards the scheme and with the remaining costs would be met by £105m of additional capital grant funding from the government, and £20m from the Local Transport Plan pot.

If the proposal is given the green light work could start later this year with a completion date of summer 2017.

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