Freight Strategy
The M6 and West Coast Main Line running through Cheshire provide
the principal links southwards from the North West to the Midlands,
the South East and the Channel crossings. Both links have capacity
problems. On the occasions when the M6 is closed there is serious
disruption to traffic across a wide area of Cheshire.
Cheshire's key location on the 'West Coast spine' has triggered
the development of a number of regional or national freight
distribution facilities, particularly at Crewe, Middlewich and
Northwich.
The first Cheshire freight strategy has been developed to take
account of policies in the Government’s
A New Deal For Transport white paper and the
daughter document
Sustainable Distribution: A Strategy. It has been prepared with
the advice of the freight industry and in the awareness that local
authorities still have a long way to go in developing a full
understanding of freight issues in dialogue with the industry and
with other bodies affected by freight transport.
When the current round of freight studies in the North West and
North Wales is complete, the results will be reviewed with the
intention, firstly, of identifying and filling information gaps
about freight in Cheshire, which are crucial to the development of
freight policies and, secondly, of identifying those areas (such as
land use planning) where local authority action is influential and
should be concentrated. Further studies will then be considered to
fit in with work by adjoining authorities and at the regional level
in the development of the Regional Transport Strategy.
Cheshire East Council will continue to explore the potential for
shifting freight from road to rail, water and pipeline in its
discussions with industry. In particular, a freight study will
include an examination of the measures required to achieve an
increase by 2011 of 50% in freight tonne-kilometres carried by
rail, water and pipeline in order to decide if such a target is
achievable.
The priority hierarchy of road users will give freight and
delivery movements priority over private cars.
Cheshire East Council:
- will develop its working relations with the freight
industry;
- negotiates local routing agreements with companies generating
large numbers of heavy goods vehicle movements;
- recognises that it needs to develop its links with the freight
industry to develop its policies further;
- will discuss with interested bodies whether there is scope for
developing freight partnerships in Cheshire along the lines
proposed in the
Government’s A New Deal For Transport White Paper;
- will work with the Manchester Ship Canal Company and other
local authorities along the Ship Canal to develop waterborne
freight;
- supports the development of air freight at Liverpool and
Manchester Airports;
- continues to work to restore freight container operations by
sea/rail from Holyhead;
- supports the Trans-Pennine initiative to develop rail freight
services to the Humber ports; and
- encourages investment by Railtrack and the rail
freight operators in the cross-country routes from the North West
to Felixstowe and Harwich.
