A parish council which offered to pay for improved safety measures on a much-used cycleway and footpath says it is still waiting for a response from Cheshire East four years later.
Leighton, Minshull Vernon and Woolstanwood Parish Council says it has been trying since 2019 to get safety warning signs installed on the path.
The path starts at the edge of St George’s Playing Field in Crewe and runs past Queens Park Golf Course and alongside the Valley Brook to the Rising Sun pub off Middlewich Road in Wistaston.
The parish council says one concern is that, because a section of the path has a steep incline with sharp blind bends, there have been a number of accidents involving pedestrians and bikes – including some involving electric bikes.
Another concern is its condition in some areas, as it has started to erode where the brook floods.
In 2020, the parish council received a quote for £5,134 for the signage from a specialist company.
Members say talks again took place between the parish council and Cheshire East throughout 2020 and 2021 – with the parish council offering to stump up the cash.
But the parish council says cash-strapped Cheshire East has not taken it up on its offer.
Woolstanwood parish councillor Philip Williams said: “So here we are in 2024, still no safety signage along the pathway, but we have ascertained that it is highways responsibility, along with the erosion of the pathway into the brook.”
Fellow Woolstanwood parish councillor Dave Arthur said: “The continued prevarication by Cheshire East has caused the original cost to rise by at least 25% due to increased costs of material and labour since 2020 and will only continue to do so, therefore costing constituents more than necessary in their council taxes.”
Parish council publicity officer Cllr Brian Silvester added: “You would think that Cheshire East Council, which is close to going bust, would have been willing to let one of its local parish councils help to provide support on projects to save endangering its residents – but apparently not.”
Cllr Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council highways and transport committee, said: “We have assessed the area, and can confirm that signs were initially proposed.
“However, due to ongoing concerns around vandalism, road markings are now considered a more suitable solution.
“We are currently looking at ways to implement appropriate markings to address this matter.
“We must all be aware that signage or markings ultimately only remind cyclists and pedestrians of potential hazards.
“Users must still proceed according to the conditions, travel at an appropriate speed and be mindful of others.”
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