FAQs

We want your thoughts on the proposed design for a 3.5 mile route between Birkenhead and Liscard. We want to know about any local information that may affect the project. All the comments will be reviewed and considered for the final design. Once we have this final design, we will ask you for your feedback again. 

We want to make sure that services and facilities are accessible to all residents. The proposed design changes will improve our roads, footways and cycle facilities so that people can walk and cycle from where they live to where they want to go but also make the communities where people live, work and visit more pleasant.

We want to provide access to healthier travel such as cycling and walking – giving people alternative options for short journeys – so that those with a car can leave the car at home and save money on fuel – and those who don’t have access to, or own, a car still have safe access to services and facilities.

Birkenhead to Liscard has been selected for investment because the area is part of wider Liverpool City Region Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) to develop a comprehensive cycling and walking network for people in Wirral and the surrounding boroughs. The plan is for the route to eventually join a wider network, both across the Liverpool City Region, but also with existing routes and proposed routes, as part of other projects, across Wirral.

Development of a project like this is a requirement of the Infrastructure Act 2015. The Birkenhead to Liscard project is the first part of the Liverpool City Region LCWIP network proposed to be delivered in Wirral and could form part of a longer route - Birkenhead to New Brighton - which would be subject to a separate consultation at a later date.

More information about the wider LCR plan can be seen in the following PDF link https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/LCR-LCWIP-Final.pdf

The project is for people who live, work, visit and travel through Birkenhead and Liscard. The proposed route will provide high-quality streets and walking and cycling infrastructure and aims to cater for all abilities and improve accessibility to employment, education and leisure sites both within the area and in the wider city region. We want everyone who lives near the routes or uses them to move around the area to comment on the proposals.

In 2020, you were asked for your thoughts on a larger scheme, previously known as ‘Birkenhead to New Brighton Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)’. We have worked through your feedback, made changes and created a new proposal which is a reduced length and now runs between Birkenhead and Liscard rather than Birkenhead to New Brighton.

The new design includes:

• Improved footpaths, junctions and crossing facilities 
• More seating, planting and street furniture
• Cycle routes that are either separate from the road or on quieter streets
• Cycle parking
• Improved bus stops along the route
• Accessible to cars, but narrower roads to encourage lower traffic speeds
• Car parking in lay-bys or parking bays, with residential and short stay parking taking priority to support access for local residents and businesses
• One-way streets on four roads and a ‘quiet street’ on Mainwaring Road where motorised traffic can access from one end of the street but pedestrians and cyclists can access from both ends
• 20mph speed limits on a two roads (Mainwaring Road and the south end of Liscard Road)

Any proposed parking changes, one-way streets or 20mph speed limits, as part of this project, will be subject to further consultation via a statutory procedure required for Traffic Regulation Orders.

In some places, the proposals suggest changes to road layouts but access to all properties along the route will still be possible by car. Parking will also be provided in laybys or parking bays.

The aim is that this scheme is part of a wider network as set out by the Liverpool City Region.

Ultimately this scheme could be part of a longer route, however that would be subject to significant further design work to address the feedback received as part of the earlier consultation that took place in 2020 and would form part of a separate future consultation and engagement with residents and stakeholders.   

Access to all properties along the route, including by car, will still be possible.

If there are any specific needs and concerns you have regarding access to your property relating to this proposed scheme, please tell us as part of this consultation.

Following feedback received in 2020, and results of a parking study, the project has been redesigned to provide parking along the route. This will be provided in lay-bys with residential and short stay parking prioritised to support access to local businesses. Waiting restrictions will also help keep roads clear. As part of the proposals some longer stay/ employee parking may be displaced to side roads or private locations, for example along Kelvin Road. We want to make sure that the design provides enough parking, so please use the consultation to make us aware of access requirements.

Yes, bus services will still be able to operate on the route and all current bus stops will be kept with some minor changes to some bus stop locations.

Bus operators at the LCRCA have been fully engaged.

Improvements will also be made to the bus stops along the route as part of the scheme.

All existing disabled parking spaces will be retained. Please tell us if there are specific disabled parking bays which you think are not used or other current or future access requirements you think we need to be aware of.

Any new applications for disabled parking bays will be considered in line with current policy.  Please let us know if you will require a disabled parking bay and we will advise you what to do next.

In order to ensure the project provides a complete route that is safe, direct and convenient, we have identified some relatively quiet streets that could be made one-way without affecting traffic flow or access in a major way.  This will allow two-way access for cyclists and pedestrians on the same streets.  All properties will be accessible by motor vehicle on these streets.

A Quiet Street is being proposed for Mainwaring Road which means that pedestrians, cyclists, mobility scooters and emergency vehicles can use both ends of the road to allow safe and convenient access. All other vehicles can use the south end only (i.e. the Poulton Road junction).  Residents and businesses will still be able to access their premises in Mainwaring Road and all parking will be retained.  As this will reduce traffic flows on Mainwaring Road, cyclists will share the road with motor vehicles on this section of the route.

As Mainwaring Road will be closed to motorists at the north  end of the street. Traffic that currently passes through Mainwaring Road will need to use Liscard Road, which will be re-connected with the existing pedestrian crossing moved to Liscard Road.  The existing bus stop on Mainwaring Road will be moved a short distance to Liscard Road and bus services will run around Liscard Road instead of along Mainwaring Road.  Both Mainwaring Road and the south end of Liscard Road will also see speed limits reduced to 20mph as part of these proposals.

There are only two sections of 20mph speed limit proposed, in Mainwaring Road and the south end of Liscard Road.  Both form part of the Quiet Street proposals, as part of a package of improvements to help pedestrians and cyclists, rather than just a speed limit change.  If the project proceeds following consultation, the 20mph speed limits proposed as part of this scheme, will be subject to a further consultation via a statutory procedure required for Traffic Regulation Orders.

The proposed design still allows access for motorists, but the route will change to also provide improved facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, including improving access to public transport.   The route passes through areas with relatively low car ownership levels, so the proposals will help people without a car, or people who don’t wish to use a car to access jobs, services and facilities.

We aim to improve our infrastructure to encourage everyone to use the route to access local services, helping to encourage more active, healthy lifestyles, saving money on travel costs and improving the environment.

The government introduced the National Infrastructure Act in 2015 that set out a requirement for all areas in the country to develop more comprehensive walking and cycling networks. This scheme is part of Wirral's commitment to doing that and is also the first part of Liverpool City Region's cycling and walking network improvements to be delivered in Wirral. The aim is to slow traffic down in areas busy with people to help make walking and cycling more attractive - but most of all, safer - for all residents.

In some locations along the route there isn’t enough land to be able to provide separate footpaths and cycletracks.  We have taken advice from Active Travel England who are the Governments Executive Agency supporting local authorities regarding projects like this and in order to ensure that there is a continuous traffic free/low traffic route for walkers, wheelers and cyclists we have had to propose some shared space.   Each shared space will be carefully considered during the next stage of design should the project proceed.  Detailed design will look at the best way these sections can be designed to ensure safe operation.  We are keen to get your feedback/suggestions as to how these sections could operate so please let us know about any comments you have on shared spaces, including any specific access needs you are aware of.

In order to provide good quality improvements for walkers, wheelers and cyclists, the design will need to use some of the existing road space.  This will narrow the existing roads but still allow traffic movements.  In order to ensure that parking on the narrowed roads doesn’t block traffic, double yellow lines are shown on the plans.  Parking is provided in laybys, again to help ensure parking doesn’t block roads.  We would welcome your views on this, including suggestions for the days and times of any parking restrictions.

In order to ensure safe, direct and convenient active travel infrastructure, we have removed some specific left and right turn lanes from these three locations.   Motor vehicles will still be able to turn in all directions at the revised junctions, so access is still possible at all times to and from all directions.

Active Travel funding obtained from Central Government is being used to develop the designs. This is ring-fenced funding which can only be used for the development of new active travel schemes. The Birkenhead to Liscard route is estimated to cost £10 million to build but a full detailed costing and business case to submit as part of a funding application to the Liverpool City Region will be need to be prepared should the project proceed to the next stage.

All feedback will be carefully considered and included in a report which will be taken to the relevant committee in 2024 for consideration by elected members as to whether the scheme progresses to the next stage of design.

If the scheme is approved to progress to detailed design, this design work would take place in 2024 with a further statutory consultation process taking place later that year.  The council would work closely with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to develop a business case to access funding but subject to this being successful works on site could commence in 2025.