Work begins on improvements along the Wirral Way

Cheshire West and Chester Council will begin improvement works along a section of the popular Wirral Way in the borough later this month.

Works will begin on 19 August and will run through to November. The project will be delivered in phases to reduce the impact on users, however, some closures will be necessary to ensure safety.

A full closure will be needed for approximately 10 weeks from the entrance point off Hooton Road through to Heath Lane due to the narrow aspect of the route in this location.

Users will be able to access The Wirral Way and reach Hooton Station from Heath Lane during this period of closure (using Heath Lane and Hooton Road).

The Wirral Way is a path on the track of an old railway that goes from West Kirby to Hooton offering superb views over the Dee Estuary to Wales. It can be used by cyclists, walkers and horse riders and it is estimated over half a million people visit it each year*.

The scheme will improve access and widening of approximately 2,850 metres of the six-mile Wirral Way pedestrian/cycle route, managed by the Council, from the park entrance at Hooton Station.

The work will focus on the 1.8 mile section between Hooton to Hadlow Road, being partly funded by S106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) as a result of the Roften development nearby. The design includes improvements to Hadlow Road Station, looking at repairs and surfacing to the platform areas and access into and throughout the space.

The Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Highways, Councillor Karen Shore said:

“The work is being closely managed taking consideration for ecological constraints and is currently planned to begin on 19 August and will be ongoing until winter.

“Path surfacing will be improved and widened to three metres – where physically possible – along some of the narrowest sections within the country park, with new benches, signage, fencing where needed, managed verges for wildlife, as well as improved access and entrances – all to upgrade the visitor experience at this award-winning Green Flag country park.”

The project is being undertaken as part of the Wirral Way’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations, with the aim of improving public safety and access for users, recognising both a general increase in visitor numbers over the last few years and a large increase in visitor numbers since the opening of the new Roften housing development at Hooton.