Barnton Parish Council has launched a campaign for a second bridge between its village and Winnington to ease traffic congestion.
More than 1,000 people have already signed an e-petition for another crossing over the River Weaver to take the pressure off the single-lane Winnington swing bridge.
Chairwoman of Barnton Parish Council Dilys Hooper has issued a rallying call to locals to support the Bridge2Barnton campaign, which has been prompted by fears over the traffic impact of the Winnington Village residential development.
“Let’s make this petition count. We need at least 3,300 signatures just to get the issue debated in Cheshire West and Chester’s chamber,” she said.
“We would obviously like to make the number as soon as we can, it’s down to all of us to make it happen.
“Every person who uses the bridge is well aware of the chaos that happens when an accident occurs, the bridge breaks whilst open or roadworks elsewhere send a far greater volume of traffic than normal down the route over the River Weaver.
Now pupils from Barnton Community Primary School have thrown their weight behind the cause.
Assistant head and Year 6 teacher Alison Lawson said her class has ‘enthusiastically’ backed the campaign, making and distributing information leaflets around Northwich and collecting 336 signatures for the petition.
We want to see our village prosper and a new bridge will allow people to easily travel between the new housing development in Winnington and Barnton village, which has a butchers, pharmacy, Post Office and lots of local facilities,” Alison said.
“It is great for the children to see democracy in action and be part of helping their own community.”
The Bridge2Barnton petition deadline is September 4, 2015.
Paper petitions located around Barnton – including Barnton Library, Dave’s Paper Shop and Hornbrey’s Butchers – will run concurrently with the e-petition.
It can be signed by clicking here.
