BIG PICTURE

I AM proud, along with Council Leader, Rachel Bailey and cabinet colleagues to have been able to secure the money necessary to deliver a number of highway schemes which have been given the backing of the Department of Transport.

As a result of our work commuters and businesses alike can look forward to more than £200m worth of new highway infrastructures across the borough.

The Conservative Cabinet at Cheshire East has consistently supported the proposed Congleton Link Road, Middlewich Eastern Bypass and the dualling of the A500 between Crewe and Junction 16 of the M6 motorway.

These schemes are expected to be delivered over the next three to four years and will ease congestion problems reducing the frustrations of motorists and helping many businesses to thrive.

The Congleton Link Road, will enable housing and employment whilst removing heavy through traffic from the town. The Middlewich Eastern will have the same benefits whilst taking pressure off the town of Middlewich and the A500 dualling will remove the obvious pinch-point at Junction 16 and improve connectivity considerably.

Work to transform the Crewe Green Roundabout is progressing well and this will soon to be followed by the Sydney Road Bridge project to enable two way traffic across it.

In the north of the borough, the Poynton Relief Road is well on track and in the last four years, we have invested £35m to maintain our highways network and will continue to invest in our roads to make them safe. Whilst the weather can be our enemy as it was over winter it can also be our friend and this summer has resulted in us being able to tackle the pothole problems across the region, ready for the next winter onslaught.

However, although this work leads us to a much brighter future it inevitably results in roadworks causing delays, inconvenience and frustration across the borough. I would wish to thank everyone for their patience and understanding as our highways teams do their job to create a better network into the future Coun Don Stockton Cheshire East Council

Eve Fletcher sent us this picture of a wren. She said: “This wren lives in the ivy on the side of my house. I was enjoying the sunshine when he/she decided to serenade me. For such a small bird, it had a remarkably loud voice.” Email your images to...