CPRE Cheshire responds to Cheshire East Council Transport consultation

Cheshire East Council are consulting on a vision for transport. This is the first stage in the production of a new Local Transport Plan. We have sent a response highlighting our concerns that the proposed vision focuses largely on the economic and social impacts of transport and does not consider vital environmental sustainability issues.

The consultation is open until 21 April 2025, so please do take the time to submit your own responses.

We largely agree with the key transport challenges that the council identifies, but recommend that further challenges be added to the list to ensure that social, economic and environmental factors are given equal importance.

These further challenges are:

• The need to meet climate change commitments and reduce air pollution.
• The lack of a really robust commitment to non-car modes and to reducing the need to travel by car.
• The imperative to reverse bus service cuts.
• The current inadequate provision of EV charging points.

The council state that transport is responsible for 34% of all harmful emissions in the borough. To meet climate change targets, reducing this figure must be a clear priority.

The Plan must also be judged against the council’s Air Quality Action Plan, yet there is no mention of air quality in the consultation brochure (though it is in the evidence base report).

A further important issue featured in the evidence base but not in the document is that of access to rail stations. For people with mobility impairments, it is currently difficult or impossible to access parts of many stations. This must be addressed.

And – of course – we ask that the Plan is properly rural-proofed.

Find out more and have your say

CPRE Cheshire response to the CEC Vision for Transport Consultation (PDF, 209 KB)

Read the consultation document and have your say – Consultation closes 21 April 2025.