'Bitter pill to swallow' as £10m plans for Wirral town move forward

However, the local authority will look at ways to fund a Bebington project which looks to bring in new cycling and walking routes and safer roads.

The By Ours Bebington project was carried out by cycling charity Sustrans in partnership with Wirral Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Three thousand letters were sent out to people living in Bebington to ask for their thoughts on the plans.

Multiple workshops and surveys were also carried out following a £2.1m grant to create "liveable neighbourhoods" across the city region.

The area covered by the project includes 2,587 properties between Teehey Lane, Town Lane, Old Chester Road, The Village, Bebington Road, and Heath Road and includes Bebington cemetery, Higher Bebington Recreation Ground, ten schools, and the Oval leisure centre.

A survey found 66% of people supported the plans with 19% opposing with around 2,200 people engaging with the project.

Sustrans staff took year six pupils from a local school out on a ride through Bebington as part of the project (Image: Sustrans) Plans put forward to the council ahead of an environment and transport committee meeting on September 18 include 3.7km of improvements to walking routes include 1.8km of traffic-free footpaths, 2.1km of cycle tracks, five enhanced green spaces, two modal filters for traffic, three one way streets, and measures in 20 places to slow down traffic.

Four streets could be closed at drop off and pick up times outside schools.

The cycling charity estimates the total cost of the project to be £10.3m with £2m going to improving walking routes across Bebington, £800,000 on new traffic street routes, and £1.7m on new cycle lanes.

However it's expected the investment could bring in more value to the area than any original cost and the project hasn’t cost the council any money so far.

At the environment committee meeting, councillors agreed to move the plans forward and look for other sources of funding working with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. However councillors, mostly Labour, said they needed to be realistic about delivery given the local authority’s financial situation.

At a policy and resources committee meeting on Wednesday, September 11, Wirral Council revealed a spending freeze had been put in place for non-essential services to try and stay within budget.

Wirral Council leader, councillor Paul Stuart said things for the local authority looked “quite dire” as it looks at a budget overspend of £12.5m.

At the meeting this week on September 18, councillor Steve Foulkes praised the work and what it could mean for other parts of the borough, but added: "I don't want to falsely raise expectations that suddenly money will be found for this scheme."

He said a Green Party leaflet had been distributed in his ward of Claughton promising a similar scheme in that area “that looks a million miles off given the budgetary situation we’re in.” Later on in the meeting, he said he would be “more convinced” to back the scheme if the Green Party agreed to set a legal council budget later this year.

Councillor Janette Williamson said: “It absolutely brings into focus the problem we have with wanting to do something visionary and progressive.

“We haven’t got enough money to cover our basics, let alone go beyond that and it’s a bitter pill to swallow as a politician.”

Committee chair, councillor Liz Grey said most people on the Wirral would want to live in an area similar to the plans put forward but added: “It’s a shame the realism that we probably just can’t afford it but I think we do need to keep aspiring for this.”

Green councillor Naomi Graham said the project was a pilot and elements of the project could be used across the borough in all areas while Conservative councillor Max Booth sought assurances the public were made aware the plans were unfunded at this stage.

Liberal Democrat councillor Allan Brame said it showed that when people are engaged, people are more positive.

He said there was "a danger of raising expectations" but called on the council to ask the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to invest in the project.

He said: "If we can find any way of pushing it forward we should. It’s really exciting and it’s really frustrating if we can’t bring it to fruition."