See some of the questions we have been getting asked so far?

How much is this costing and can the money be used for anything else?

The Government have given Sefton Council £700,000 to make the routes.   There is another fund of money from the Government which we hope to have available for us to put towards the £700,000 to complete the work on the routes. The money can only be used on the routes and cannot be used on anything else.

The money has been awarded for this walking and cycling route. The money cannot be spent on anything else.  If the money is not spent on this route it would need to be returned to the Government via the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Who is this for?

The walking and cycling routes are for everyone, for young people getting to school or college, for people getting to work at Smedley or in Southport town centre, for people wanting to get out and about to visit places such as the park.  We have used the latest government guidance and national best practice to create walking and cycling routes which are of high quality that people will feel safe using them and will be able to use them with all their family members.   

Why are you putting the routes here?

55% of people in Southport live within 200 meters of the routes.  The whole route including the part through town will connect people to lots of places they want to go to such as schools, colleges, parks, sports and fitness clubs, Village centres and Southport Town Centre.  This corridor was shown in the Local Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plan as a walking and cycling route. 

Why can’t people use the route on the Coast Road instead or just use the road as it is?

For many the coast road would be a major detour for people cycling we know that making direct routes which everyone can access is the best way to get people of all ages to cycle.  The coast road is also not lit and would not be a very nice cycling route late at night or early in the morning in the winter.  We want to make a network of convenient, routes which people can use at any time of the day and any season.

How many people are using the route through town now?

You can find out how many people are using the route in town at the moment here – http://activetravelsefton.co.uk/active-travel-routes-monitoring/  and we also tweet the figures out on a regular basis via Sefton Active Travel @SeftonTravel.  In April 2021 there were 15,249 cycle trips on Chapel Street near the junction of Hoghton Street and 4,023 cycle trips on Talbot Street.

There are a lot of elderly people living in Southport, how will they get about?

Walking and cycling is a healthy way for you to get out and about at any age. These routes will make the roads safer by reducing the amount of traffic and will also make it easier to cross the road by providing safer crossing points. Walking and cycling is a healthy way for you to get out and about at any age. These routes will make the roads safer by reducing the amount of traffic and will also make it easier to cross the road by providing safer crossing points.  There are also lots of younger people who live in Southport.  Further details on ward profiles can be found here https://www.sefton.gov.uk/your-council/plans-policies/business-intelligence-insight-performance/borough-ward-profiles/

I am disabled where will I park?

The routes are made up of quiet streets, on family friendly cycle lanes and cycle friendly streets. Where there are on road cycle lanes we need to make sure that the lane is kept clear of all parked cars and vans so we will be looking to make the cycle lanes mandatory.  This will mean there will be no parking along this part of the route.  Most of the properties along the route where there are mandatory cycle lanes have off street parking or are very near to a side road which would be available for kerbside car parking for everyone. 

Where will my friends park when they come to visit?

Where there are on road cycle lanes we need to make sure that the lane is kept clear of all parked cars and vans so we will be looking to make the cycle lanes mandatory.  You will need to park in another location such as a side road or on your driveway.

Where will my online food delivery van park?

Delivery vehicles will need to unload in the running lane of the road or find the closest side road to do so.  You could also offer the opportunity for the delivery van to park on your driveway to unload. 

What happens if I want a skip?

If you need a skip then the skip could be placed on your grass verge if you have one or on your drive way.  The skip would not be able to block the cycle lane at any point. 

How do I give my views on the walking and cycling routes?

Please go to and click on the link to Your Streets and fill in the survey. 

How will you know if the routes have been a success?

We will be putting in sensors along the routes to measure the number of walking and cycling trips.  

What is a family friendly on-road cycle lane?

A family friendly on-road cycle lane is a place for people to cycle safely and is marked out by putting a solid white line and some poles or bollards which stop cars going into that space.  This offers people cycling a greater level of safety and it is more likely to encourage more people to cycle of any age and ability. 

What is a quiet street?

A quiet street is where traffic is removed by putting in filters or bus gates.  This means the street is much calmer and only people accessing the street would use it.  All properties can be accessed by car and deliveries if you are on a quiet street but they may have to take a slightly different route. 

By removing through traffic this means people will start to change the way they use the road so for example people can start to walk, cycle or scoot in the road due to the very low level of people driving.    

Will the satnav companies know about the changes so delivery businesses can reroute their drivers? 

We will be advising the companies who inform satnav systems of our changes to the road network.  This may take some time to filter through to your systems such as apple maps, google maps etc. 

Will there be a public meeting about the proposals?

Due to COVID restrictions we are unable to hold any public exhibitions or meetings about the proposals. We have lots of information available on line. 

Why are you planning on taking away parking from villages both for workers and shoppers?

Our plans and ideas do not currently involve taking away any parking spaces in the Villages. 

What about the Emergency Services, won’t response times be affected?

We work closely with the emergency services and any concerns will be taken fully on board. 

Specific Questions relating to Hesketh Park to the Plough route

Won’t this just create more congestion on Preston New Road?

Many journeys or trips we do in our car or van are short journeys. Changing the way to travel for short journeys is important in terms of Climate Change and by switching to walking and cycling we will make room for people who need to use the road space the most.

People do not use the lanes that are on Preston New Road and cycle on the pavement, so why do we need new ones?

The existing cycle lanes on Preston New Road are not up to current standards.  Cars park on them and people cycling get squeezed as they pass the pedestrian refuges in the middle of the road.  Our plans and ideas include taking out the refuges and putting in zebra crossings.  This will make Preston New Road easier to   We will also put in bollards to keep cars and bikes separate.  This will make the route more appealing to cycle along.

Won’t this create more congestion at Churchtown Lights and make traffic worse in Churchtown?

Many journeys or trips we do in our car or van are short journeys. Changing the way to travel for short journeys is important in terms of Climate Change and by switching to walking and cycling we will make room for people who need to use the road space the most. So we can do this we need to make sure we have really good quality alternatives to driving.  This junction design will reduce the capacity at the junction, however it will provide safer cycling conditions which will encourage more people to do so.

Why have all the schools moved on Preston New Road?

We are only human and sometimes we make mistakes Larkfield School, Prestfield, Crossens Nursery and Peterhouse have not moved and we put the wrong label on the map which were delivered… Sorry to all the schools involved.   We have updated our online plans and maps.

Specific Questions relating to Birkdale to Ainsdale Route 

Why are there two routes from Birkdale to Ainsdale Village?

The routes run along each side of the railway line providing all residents who live on both sides of the track access to quiet streets for walking and cycling.  There are limited opportunities to cross the railway when walking and cycling.  So by creating a few quiet streets we can make attractive routes on both sides of the railway.