Council making a bee line for Castleton

Artist's impression of the proposed Beeline route

Plans for the borough’s biggest cycling infrastructure project are being developed after regional transport bosses signalled their backing for the plans.

Almost one kilometre of new cycle lanes will be installed in Manchester Road in Castleton if the £1.2million plans are approved.

The major walking and cycling infrastructure improvements are being developed as part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Beelines strategy, which is led Olympic gold medal-winning and Tour de France stage winner Chris Boardman.

Mr Boardman, Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner, developed the idea of a cycling and walking network made up of more than 1,000 miles of routes, including 75 miles of Dutch-style segregated bike lanes. ‘Beelines’ will be the largest joined-up system of walking and cycling routes in the UK and has been developed with all 10 Greater Manchester local authorities.

The Beelines proposal being put forward by Rochdale Borough Council includes reallocating existing road space to allow for better walking and cycling through Castleton, improve links to the town’s railway station and create new, safer raised road crossings in a number of locations.

Councillor Neil Emmott, the council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “This is a really exciting proposal, which will have huge benefits for Castleton - by providing the kind of safe cycling space that we have seen work so well in other places. I’m looking forward to the plans being developed and hope that Castleton residents will see the benefits it could bring.”

Over the next few weeks council highways engineers will be carrying out survey work in the area before public engagement events are held. The events will give local residents and businesses a chance to take a closer look at the plans and ask questions.