Bypass gets green light after 40-year wait

A bypass in Cheshire that was first demanded 40 years ago has been given the final go-ahead by the government.

The Department for Transport has confirmed funding for the Middlewich Eastern Bypass as part of various road and rail projects.,

The case for the bypass was made in 2017 and planning permission granted two years later, but the scheme stalled after the government rejected the council's previous business case for the scheme.

Andrew Cooper, the Labour MP for Mid Cheshire, said the decision meant the "tide is turning in Middlewich" after years of local residents' campaigning for the road.

The bypass is due to be a 1.6 mile (2.57 km) single carriageway road which would include new bridges over the Trent and Mersey Canal and the nearby railway line.

It has previously been estimated the road would cost about £95m, with the Department for Transport asked to contribute about half the costs.

Preliminary work had already started when the business case was rejected in 2024, amid concerns about value for money.

But local MP Andrew Cooper previously said he "remained hopeful" about the plans, and a new revised business case was prepared and accepted.

Mr Cooper said this decision followed "an awful lot of meetings and lobbying" as well as a campaign with fellow Labour MP Sarah Russell to change Treasury rules on infrastructure spending.

"The campaign to build the bypass has been running for over 40 years," he said.

"We may have got this over the line, but this victory belongs to everyone who wrote a letter, signed a petition, and campaigned hard for so many years to get this on the government's agenda.

"The tide is turning in Middlewich, the forgotten town no longer."

Russell, MP for Congleton, added: "For the sake of our residents and the connection between our two constituencies I'm glad we can finally confirm that the project is happening.

"I appreciate every conversation that I've had with residents regarding this, and to everyone who campaigned long before I was elected MP. This is in no small part down to you."

The government said it had approved the scheme to support local journeys and that the bypass, along with other schemes, were "vital to connecting and growing communities".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: "These vital investments are long overdue, will transform local communities and improve living standards across the country."

Cheshire East Council said: "Today's news is a tremendous boost for Middlewich and the wider Cheshire East economy, and the council remains committed to delivering this scheme.

However, the delay in the government's decision has come at a cost.

"The economic and environmental benefits of the Middlewich Eastern Bypass are clear – but we must now assess how we can deliver it in light of the challenges caused by this delay.

"This includes rising costs, the need to retender contracts, and the expiry of essential technical surveys, such as ecology assessments."

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