The Burtonwood scheme is formed of two parts:

  • Access Improvement Scheme

  • Improvement of Burtonwood Community Centre

Access improvement scheme

We are aiming to improve walking, wheeling and cycling links between Clay Lane and Chapel Lane, to improve access to job opportunities in Omega and the western reaches of Warrington for residents of Burtonwood.

The proposed scheme will provide a shared use path which is useable all year round and is suitable for walking, wheeling (wheelchairs, prams, and non-electric scooters) and cycling.  It will connect Clay Lane to Chapel Lane via the Burtonwood Community Centre.

The existing routes towards the M62 require users to use Chapel Lane or Farmers Lane and Tan House Lane which carry faster moving motorised traffic and are narrow in parts with limited footpaths.  These are considered a barrier for all but the most confident of users.

Map of proposed improvement scheme in Burtonwood

Scheme objectives and benefits

The scheme has six key objectives:

  1. Connect North Warrington to the rest of the Borough
  2. Extend the existing shared use path on Clay Lane to Burton Wood and connect to the improved community centre
  3. Provide better surfaces for walking, wheeling and cycling routes so paths can be used all year round by cyclists and pedestrians, as well as making it k0otre accessible for people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters
  4. Provide access for people using walking, wheeling and cycling to access jobs in Omega and West Warrington
  5. Improve access to the community centre
  6. Provide better opportunities for people to take exercise walking, wheeling and cycling, boosting levels of health

It will provide the following benefits

Inclusivity

  • Enabling people without a car to access Omega, Gemini and other areas of employment opportunity
  • Providing a path which is accessible for all

Health

  • Removing barriers to travel, allowing residents healthier travel choices
  • Less vehicular traffic, reducing emissions and improving public health
  • Increasing physical activity

Environmental

  • Making better use of our natural spaces to improve the environment and promote greener travel choices
  • Reducing dependency on car trips, cutting CO2 emissions and helping reduce Warrington’s carbon footprint

Safety

  • Providing a safer, more attractive and less intimidating route for pedestrians, wheelchair and pushchair users and cyclists
  • Reducing the possibility of accidents for all modes of transport within Burtonwood

Economic

  • Improving access to job opportunities in Omega and Gemini

Place

  • Providing a high quality off-highway route for pedestrians, cyclists and other wheeled modes
  • Providing high quality highway surfaces at crossing points, improving infrastructure for all modes of transport

Improvement of Burtonwood community centre

LRF will also fund the improvements to the Burtonwood Community Centre, with the proposed path providing access.

A range of improvements will be made to the community centre, including:

  • A new front extension to be used for things like sports and events
  • A brand-new modern bowling pavilion
  • Brand new male and female changing rooms for the local sports teams at the end of the new bowling pavilion
  • A number of internal improvements, including a new office and meeting room

Have your say

You can share your views on the proposed Burtonwood improvements in the following ways:

  • Complete our online survey by Monday 15 December 2025.
  • Come along to one of our engagement events at Burtonwood Community Centre on Chapel Lane on the following dates:
  • Thursday 27 November 12pm to 7pm
  • Saturday 29 November 10am to 1pm

All comments and views received will be collated and considered by the project design team. 

Frequently asked questions

What will be implemented?

The scheme will provide a shared use path connecting Clay Lane to Chapel Lane via the Burtonwood Community Centre. The scheme will improve the current Public Right of Way connecting Clay Lane to Chapel Lane. The improvements will make the path useable all year round.

  • A 3-4m shared use path which will provide enough space for people walking, wheeling and cycling. The route is also being designed to enable equestrians to use the route
  • Replacement of existing bridge for new structure to allow sufficient width for all users
  • Vegetation clearance to provide sufficient width for a shared use space
  • A new Toucan crossing on Clay Lane
  • Reduction of speed limit on Clay Lane to 30mph to achieve sufficient visibility for the new crossing
What improvements will there be for people walking and wheeling?

An off-carriageway, shared use path will provide a safe, smooth surface away from general traffic. The path is to be 3-4m wide, which will provide enough space for pedestrians, cyclists and people wheeling (e.g. wheelchairs, prams, non-electric scooters) users to share the space safely.

There will be a new Toucan crossing on Clay Lane, with the speed limit being reduced to 30mph to ensure sufficient visibility of the crossing. This will enable safe crossing to the existing shared use path on Clay Lane.

This scheme will link onto the existing Clay Lane scheme, which will enable walking and wheeling journeys between Burtonwood and Omega.

What improvements will there be for people cycling?

The new route will link up to the existing Clay Lane scheme, which will provide a predominantly traffic free route from Burtonwood through to Omega for cyclists with faster journey times.

The 3-4m wide path will ensure cyclists can comfortably pass pedestrians and other cyclists along the length of the route. 

Would the route be available for use by equestrians?

The scheme is being designed so equestrians (people riding horses) will be able to use the new route.

Will people driving cars or vans be affected?

The scheme will not negatively impact the vehicular routes of Clay Lane or Green Jones Brow / Chapel Lane / Fir Tree Lane and all access will be maintained.

A new Toucan Crossing and reduced speed limit of 30mph on Clay Lane will improve road safety. Clay Lane, where the new Toucan Crossing is located, will benefit from improved surfacing on the carriageway in the vicinity of the crossing point to ensure the carriageway has the correct skid resistance properties.

One of the aims of the scheme is provide people with high quality walking, wheeling and cycling options that will help to reduce the number of vehicular trips and tackle congestion.

How will the scheme impact vegetation, trees and natural habitats?

Ecology surveys have been completed to identify protected species likely to be impacted by the proposals. These specialist surveys will, if required, inform the correct mitigation measures required to protect species habitats.

The design of the scheme will keep tree removal to a minimum and be as sympathetic to the environment as possible. For each tree that is removed two will be planted to replace it, either within the scheme or an alternative location.

How will this scheme be funded?

The scheme will be funded by the governments ‘Local Regeneration Fund’ (LRF), which we received to help invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK. Warrington received £9.4 million of funding. The Burtonwood scheme forms one of three schemes benefiting from the Government funding.

How much will the scheme cost?

The Access Improvement Scheme is approximately £2m

The Community Centre improvements are approximately £1.8m

Can the money be spent on something else?

We have submitted a funding application in consultation with various stakeholders. The schemes and the government funding grant should be spent on the schemes proposed in the application, including the Burtonwood schemes.

When will the scheme be completed?

The scheme is due to be fully delivered by 2028.

How long will the schemes take to be constructed?

As part of the next steps we will seek to understand a more detailed programme for construction. At this stage it is expected that construction would take approximately 7 months.

Will there be any impacts from construction of the scheme?

The construction of the path would likely require temporary closures of sections of the route. Construction would be completed in a way that ensures closures have the least possible impact on users.

Almost all of the scheme is off highway so impacts upon the highway network will be minimal. The Toucan crossing on Clay Lane can be delivered in a way to minimise delays on Clay Lane with no need for peak period lane closures. The widening of the Greens Jones Brow access into the Community Centre may require some traffic management, but access to the existing housing and the community centre would be maintained throughout.

Prior to construction the local community and stakeholders will be engaged further, and information on plans for construction and approaches to minimise disruption will be made available.

Are the schemes linked to any housing and employment development proposals such as Bold Forest and Parkside?

No, the LRF schemes are not linked to any housing and employment development proposals such as Bold Forest and Parkside. The LRF schemes are planned as standalone improvements. The Bold Forest and Parkside development proposals are subject to a separate statutory planning process.

17 November 2025