With every development comes a fantastic opportunity to make sure residents have the tools to live an active lifestyle, and to feel connected to their surrounding area. Stockport has just launched its new cycling and walking route which connects Offerton to Stockport and the wider ‘Bee Network’.
Perhaps as little as 5 years ago, if you were to ask homebuyers about their desirables, they might talk about the house itself – number of bedrooms, quirky features and value for money. Ask the same question post-lockdown, and a shift towards well-connected transport links, local green spaces and walking and cycling routes reflect the role a neighbourhood can have on happiness and investment.
Entrance from Offerton Lane to the Battersby Hat Factory Development
In conjunction with Stockport Council, pedestrian and cycling access from Offerton Lane has been included at Viaduct’s Former Battersby Hat Factory scheme - their largest to date consisting of 144 properties for shared ownership, market sale and affordable rent. Additional plans are now afoot to resurface and light the passageway leading from Sydney St, behind houses on Hempshaw Lane and into the site, connecting to the walking and cycling network.
The route was finalised in Spring and helps to form part of the ‘Bee Network’, a Greater Manchester wide vision of 1,800 miles walking and cycling routes and 2,400 new crossings connecting every neighbourhood, school, high street and public transport hub in the city-region.
Here are some key takeaways from Matt Jacksons twitter thread on the new route:
“I went for a ride to explore the new Offerton to Stockport Cycling route. We’re excited to see new initiatives built to make it easier for Stopfordians to leave their car leave their car at home.”
The link between Offerton and Stockport doesn't currently get you to the centre of Stockport.
This new crossing on Hempshaw Lane (Junction with Lowndes Lane) is well used by the kids at Bank Lane school and Stockport School. It allows safe pedestrian and cycle crossing – a welcome change.
The route continues through St Thomas Recreation Ground, which is predominantly well paved and pleasant to ride along.
The section through the Battersby Hat Factory will form a low-traffic route onwards. It's great to see at the exit onto Offerton Lane they have elected to use a bollard as opposed to the chicanes used elsewhere.
The bulk of the network is traffic free with wide, shared paths. Though, vegetation, barriers and road markings in some areas may be confusing to users.
To find out more about the Offerton to Stockport route and other schemes across the borough, you can visit Stockport Council's project web pages or contact the team at [email protected]
