A local business mogul says he has been ‘staggered’ by the positive feedback he’s received from Frodsham residents about his proposal to build a roundabout near Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge as an alternative to Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) plans which would prevent motorists turning right off the bridge on to the A56 Chester Road.
Last week the Chronicle reported how the Steppingstone Group, which is owned and operated by Widnes Vikings executive chairman Steve O’Connor, believe a full-sized roundabout with associated road layout located on land it owns adjacent to the swing bridge would offer a sustainable solution to the traffic junction’s woes.
The Frodsham Gateway bid has been prompted by CWaC’s current consultation on its proposed traffic regulation order which would make permanent the traffic diversions which have been in place since restoration work began on the swing bridge last year, namely that traffic heading north from Frodsham and the A56 Sutton Causeway would be prohibited from turning right off the bridge.
Motorists wishing to travel to Sutton Weaver will have to continue along A557 Clifton Road, around Clifton Road Roundabout and back along A557 Clifton Road before turning left into A56 Chester Road.
More than 5,000 leaflets seeking views on Steppingstone’s proposed development were distributed to households across Frodsham last week.
At the time of going to print, 286 people had responded to Steppingstone’s survey, of which 94% agreed Frodsham Gateway has the potential to improve traffic flow in the area and that they would like to see the site investigated for that use.
One respondee described it as a ‘brilliant solution to a decades-old problem’, while another commented: “It solves all the problems and is fair to all the residents and road users.
Steve said: “I’ve been staggered with the level of response to this consultation and by the overwhelmingly positive tone of those responses.
Steve added that the next stage is for them to sit down with CWaC and discuss how they might be able to make their vision a reality.
“There are lots of options available to us such as enabling development on this site or a land swap with other council-owned parcels elsewhere but first we need to understand if this solution is agreeable to the local authority,” he said.
“If it is, we’ll work in partnership with them to bring it forward to a planning application which will also be subject to further consultation around the detailed design.”
A spokesperson for Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “Our consultation is continuing until Friday and we would ask for as many people as possible to come forward and give us their views.”
