Public Welcome To Witness Poynton Relief Road Completion Ceremony 

2 March 2023

Cheshire East Council and its partners will formally celebrate the completion of a new road, designed to remove heavy traffic from the village of Poynton, with a ribbon-cutting event, marking the opening to pedestrians and cyclists ONLY on Friday (3 March).

The new 3.5km road features a cycle and footway for its entire length, along the western edge, and cyclists and pedestrians are welcome to observe the ceremony, which starts from 10.30am.

Access can be gained via the Chester Road overbridge in Woodford, or via the new Adlington roundabout on the A523, Macclesfield road from 10.00am.

The road opens to traffic the following Monday (6 March).     

Named Roy Chadwick Way, after the man who designed the famous Lancaster bomber at the AV Roe factory at Woodford, Stockport, the Poynton Relief Road will take heavy traffic out of the village of Poynton, improve air quality, and open up new employment sites for development.

It connects to the new A555 Manchester Airport Relief Road and is described as the ‘missing link’ to the package of highway schemes around south-east Manchester and in the north of the borough.

Friday’s event will be attended by dignitaries from Cheshire East Council, Stockport Council, the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, the contractors Graham, and special guests from the RAF as well as local landowners.

The Mayors of Poynton and Cheshire East, and deputy mayor of Stockport will also be present.

Roy Chadwick was a highly acclaimed aircraft designer, who sadly died during a test flight at Woodford in 1947. A memorial board listing his achievements was unveiled at the side of the new road last November. 

Friday’s ceremony will involve a parade of veteran Rolls Royce cars, other veteran and vintage cars, but the highlight will be a fly past by a 1953 Mk2 Avro Anson aircraft, the type used in reconnaissance and RAF training exercises after the war.

Roy Chadwick designed the earlier versions of the twin engine plane at the A V Roe factory in Woodford, but was responsible for the design and development of many more early-age aircraft prior to his untimely death aged 54.