Fallowfield Loop consultation opens

With cities under the spotlight as commuters monitor their support for active travel, consultation has opened on a £4.9m improvement plan for the Manchester cycle route.

Manchester City Council, which was criticised in June for not taking the opportunity to install pop-up cycle lanes, as other cities including Liverpool had, said it plans to enhance the 14km route, creating a safer, more convenient and accessible cycling and walking network. Although popular and well-used, the route has also sometimes hit the headlines due to assaults on users.

The overall plan is to “improve the Loop’s connections to surrounding neighbourhoods, creating a more welcoming and attractive environment with revitalised habitat and landscaping. Upgraded access points are proposed to make entry and exit points clearer, plus transformed open areas, which will provide better places for people to stop, relax and for children to play, including seating areas along the route”.

The Fallowfield Loop runs from Chorlton in the west, through Fallowfield and Levenshulme and on to Gorton and Fairfield in the east. The route runs past several parks and open spaces and links to other cycle and public transport routes, making it a vital project.

The launch of the consultation comes shortly after a bridge for people cycling and walking over the A57 Hyde Road was opened.

Angeliki Stogia, executive member for the environment, planning and transport at MCC, said: “We’re working to bring forward a series of ambitious projects which will significantly improve the city’s cycling and walking infrastructure, helping to change how people in our communities travel and benefitting our neighbourhoods for the long-term future.”

The consultation is now open, and closes on Friday 21 August 2020.