Middlewich Eastern Bypass (MEB)

The Scheme

The Middlewich Eastern Bypass will include a new two-way single carriageway road that will connect a new roundabout junction off Pochin Way in the north to a new roundabout junction to the south, connecting with the A533 Booth Lane.

The 1.6-mile scheme will include a new bridge over the Trent and Mersey Canal and a new bridge over the Sandbach-to-Northwich railway line.

The plans also include a combined cycleway and footway, as part of the council’s continued commitment to encourage active travel and greener transport.

The council is currently working with DfT to resubmit the Full Business Case in Autumn 2024. The main construction works are anticipated to start in 2025, subject to approval of Full Business and grant funding from DfT.

The current estimated scheme cost is £95.74 million, including prior years’ spend to develop the Outline Business Case for the Scheme. The scheme costs is approved within council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024-2028.

Planning

The scheme has full planning consent with conditions. 

Planning Permission 20/2064C amended the original permission 18/5833C, and 20/2162C formed a new permission extending the boundaries of the scheme for revised ecological mitigations and other minor changes to the design.

Two applications for minor material amendments to the permissions were approved with conditions in March 2022. These are 21/2044C and 21/2073C.

Full details of all applications can be found on the planning portal or within the documentation on the Statutory Orders page.

Prior to works commencing on site a number of the planning conditions need to be formally discharged by the Council’s Planning Department and the work to achieve this is at an advanced stage. Conditions in relation to the early construction works described below have already been discharged.

Statutory Orders

On 12 January 2022, the Council formally sealed and dated the following statutory orders:

The Cheshire East Council (A533 Middlewich Eastern Bypass) Compulsory Purchase Order 2022

The Cheshire East Council (A533 Middlewich Eastern Bypass) (Classified Road) (Side Roads) Order 2022.

And the Cheshire East Council (A533 Middlewich Eastern Bypass-Trent and Mersey Canal Bridge) Scheme 2022.

Following a local Public Inquiry, which was held before an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport from 8-11 November 2022, the Secretary of State made a decision on 6 June 2023 to confirm the above orders with modifications. More information about this can be found on the Statutory Orders page.

Business case

The Outline Business Case was submitted to the Department of Transport (DfT) in March 2017. The scheme has been accepted onto the DfT’s Large Local Major Scheme programme.

Public Engagement

Public exhibitions relating to the scheme were held on Wednesday 28 March, Saturday 10 April, and Thursday 19 April 2018 at St Mary’s Church Hall in Middlewich to inform members of the public and others with an interest in the scheme of the Council’s proposals and receive feedback for consideration in the further development of the scheme. Further information can be found on the exhibition boards (PDF, 3.8MB) and consultation brochure (PDF, 1.8MB) created for the consultation.

A detailed report on the findings of the consultation can be found in the supporting documents for the CPO under the Statutory Orders page.