Business case resubmitted for Middlewich Eastern Bypass

9 September 2024

Cheshire East Council has resubmitted its final business case to Government for the Middlewich Eastern Bypass scheme.

The council is seeking final approval for grant funding from the Department for Transport to help deliver a 1.6-mile bypass. 

Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council’s highways and transport committee, said: “We know there is strong support from local people for the Middlewich Eastern Bypass and that they have long campaigned for this scheme to be delivered.

“On Friday, we submitted a robust business case to Government that clearly demonstrates why the bypass is fundamental to our growth ambitions for Middlewich and why its significant benefits will extend well beyond the town itself.

“We have worked very closely with government officials on this new road since 2017. At each stage we have responded to all of the requirements and have a very investable scheme with a positive business case, so we expect the Government to now fund this scheme’s construction.

“This bypass will relieve severe traffic congestion at the junction of two major roads, the A54 and A533, which for many years has impacted residents’ quality of life and deterred businesses away from the area. 

“It will reduce air pollution and noise levels in residential areas by diverting traffic away – particularly lorries – and also help to improve the reliability of bus services. 

“By improving the highway network, it will improve connectivity to major employment sites and enhance the region’s attractiveness for further development – unlocking up to 1,950 new homes and employment land and potentially creating up to 6,500 jobs in the local area.

“It will also improve the infrastructure of the wider Mid Cheshire towns, including Crewe, Winsford, and Northwich, and improve access to major transport links, including the M6 motorway.”

The bypass will be a new two-way single carriageway road that will connect a new roundabout junction off Pochin Way in the north of the town to a new roundabout junction to the south, connecting with the A533 Booth Lane.

The plans also include a new bridge over the Trent and Mersey Canal, a new bridge over the Sandbach-to-Northwich railway line, and a combined cycleway and footway, which supports the council’s continued commitment to encourage active travel and greener transport.

Now the council has submitted its final business case for the bypass, it needs to be reviewed by the Department for Transport’s Investment Committee, which is expected to take place in November.

The committee will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh MP, who will then make a final decision on whether the scheme will receive Government funding.

Cllr Goldsmith added: “In submitting our business case for this scheme, we have addressed recent feedback from the Department for Transport and further strengthened the scheme’s economic case which, like many others in this programme, had been impacted by the exceptionally high inflation pressures since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The bypass is ‘shovel ready’, with designs completed, all planning permissions and statutory orders confirmed, and contractors lined up. 

“Delaying this scheme further will have major financial implications for the council and to ensure that it remains achievable, our ambition is to receive full business case approval from Government later this year, or early 2025, so that we could start on site in spring 2025 and the bypass can be open by autumn 2027.”