New Carrington to include 5,000 new homes and 350,000sqm of new employment space
Artist’s impression of Carrington Relief Road(Image: One Trafford Partnership)
A new relief road has been touted as the solution to traffic “challenges” in Partington and Carrington. The route, which has been long-promised for Trafford, has taken a huge step forward after an application was submitted seeking planning approval for the scheme.
The project aims to divert traffic away from the A6144, reducing congestion and improving travel times for drivers and public transport users. The 2.7-mile road would link the A6144 Manchester Road to the west with the A6144 Carrington Spur in the east.
The scheme forms part of a wider masterplan for the area, known as New Carrington. Ultimately, some 5,000 new homes and 350,000sqm of new employment space are expected to be delivered there by 2040.
The relief road scheme would also see six new junctions created, documents published by the One Trafford Partnership – between the town hall and contractor Amey – state. These would include the realignment of the A6144 Carrington Spur/A6144 Carrington Lane/Banky Lane junction; and new signalised junctions where the road crosses Isherwood Road and where it meets the A6144 Manchester Road.
The route would be predominantly single-carriageway. However, a small section between the eastern stretch of the A6144 and the junction with Carrington Spur would be dual-carriageway.
The One Trafford Partnership has hailed the scheme as an opportunity to “help address longstanding transport challenges in the Carrington and Partington areas of Trafford” and to “facilitate the regeneration of the area”.
Paths and cycle lanes would be created along the route as well, with Trafford Council saying it wants to “encourage” active travel and provide “safe” and “traffic free” spaces to enable this.
With the expected reduction in traffic, the council said, there is also scope for walking and cycling improvements on the A6144 itself, with this plan being designed as part of the wider New Carrington Masterplan. Future speed and road safety measures could also be introduced in Carrington village itself at a later date, documents add.
Some of the new relief road would cut across previously developed land that belonged to the former Carrington Petrochemical site, upgrading the private route that already runs there. However, more than half would be built on what are currently fields and farmland, known as Carrington Moss.
The Friends of Carrington Moss group has previously spoken against the plan. Chair Marj Powner said: “We do not agree with the plan to build a road across productive grade two agricultural land, impacting our future food security, the 335-hectare peat moss and other natural capital assets.
“It would be more beneficial for local communities if the money to be spent on this were invested in school transport, more bus services for the area and working towards the reopening of the former railway line.
Aidan Williams, Trafford Council’s executive member for climate change said: “The communities of Partington and Carrington have long suffered from poor accessibility, cut off from adjacent areas by the Ship Canal, River Mersey and narrow rural roads. This new route will reduce congestion, taking freight vehicles away from unsuitable roads and, for the first time, provide safe and traffic-free walking and cycling space between Partington and Sale.”
Liz Patel, Trafford Council’s executive member for economy and regeneration, added: “Carrington and Partington are a major focus of future growth and regeneration, and this new road is needed to enable this to happen. I am particularly proud that for much of its length we will provide as much space for walking and wheeling as we will for powered vehicles, promoting active travel and alternative ways of getting around.”
