Press Release 11/04/2023

Council sets out next steps for Pepper Street refurbishment

Tuesday, 11 April 2023

The council has thanked residents for helping to shape plans for the refurbishment of the stone setts on Pepper Street in Lymm, and has laid out next steps.

Pepper Street, which sits within a conservation area in Lymm village centre, contains a sett paved area, which is in poor condition. In addition, the existing inspection chamber covers and gully gratings on the street are of an older style and unsuitable for modern traffic.

Almost 250 people took part in a consultation last autumn, aimed at getting local views on the best refurbishment options for the stone setts. The majority of respondents said they would like to see the road reconstructed with reclaimed setts.

The council is now moving forward to the detailed planning stage for the refurbishment project. This will take some months, as the reclaimed setts – of the right type and size – will need to be sourced.

As part of this planning stage, the council must also liaise with utilities companies to ensure disruption is minimised as much as possible when the work is carried out, and utilities will need time to undertake any essential works before the refurbishment project begins.

Other considerations for the council are maintaining access to the car park, ensuring important community on-street activities – such as Lymm Transport Day – can go ahead as usual, and planning for as much of the heavy work as possible to take place during school holidays.

Cabinet member for transportation, highways and public realm, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who shared their views on the refurbishment of the stone setts on Pepper Street.

“Residents made it clear that their preferred option is for the look and feel of the surface to be retained with reclaimed setts, and it’s this option we’ll be moving forward with.

“We are keen to carry out the refurbishment works as soon as we can, to prevent further deterioration and ensure the longevity of the surface. However, this section of Pepper Street is an important part of Lymm’s conservation area, and it’s vital we take the time to get it right.

“We thank everyone for their patience while we proceed to the detailed planning stage for the project which, once complete, will bring big long term benefits for the area, providing a high quality surface for many years to come.”

Update 13/10/22

The consultation period has now closed.

Results of the consultation will be shared in due course.

PEPPER STREET REFURBISHMENT

Update 05/10/22

Supporting documents for the consultation are now available to view.

There is also an E-card to complete with your preferred option and any comments you may have, please email this to EngineeringandFloodRisk@warrington.gov.uk, please put 'Pepper Street' in the title of your email so that it can be easily identified, thank you.

The closing date for submission of E-cards is midnight on 12 October 2022

As you may be aware we are considering a number of options in order to reconstruct the cobbled section of Pepper Street that is in a poor condition.

There will be a drop in session at Lymm Village Hall, on Pepper Street, from

2pm to 7pm on Wednesday 5 October 2022.

Drawings showing the proposed options, and other supporting information, will be on display, and we will be seeking the views of residents and businesses on these by the completion of a postcard.

For those not able to make the drop in session the information on display will be made available at www.warrington.gov.uk/pepper-street-lymm

on 5 October. An E-Card will be available to complete and return to us by email by midnight on 12 October 2022

Comments received regarding the project will be considered and the final outcome will be made available to residents and businesses via the above web link and displayed on the Village Hall notice board.

The works are programmed to take place from June/July 2023.

As we are considering a future project on Pepper Street, it may be necessary to undertake some invasive site investigation to identify underground services etc.

For this reason, we have made provision for a road closure should the need arise due to the narrowness of the road.

A road closure requires special legal orders and can take some considerable time to arrange. This includes the posting of a notice on site, and advertising the order in the local press, as part of this lengthy process.

To be clear, it is unlikely that a road closure will be required. However if it is necessary then this may be less than one day and any closure would be in the evening (7pm to midnight) to minimise inconvenience.

The period of time stated on the order is misleading but means that the road closure may take place any time within the period advertised. 

Many apologies any confusion.