BOROUGH chiefs are expected to receive a £1.7 million boost to help Chester and Ellesmere Port residents leave the car at home.

The Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has set aside funding to develop the A5117 cycle route, Sutton Way boulevard and to improve a stretch of the Shropshire Union Canal’s towpath.

In a report issued by the LEP’s local transport body Roy Newton, transport director, said the funding would go towards ‘essential transport infrastructure designed to overcome walking and cycling barriers to key economic destinations’.

He added: “The package aims to deliver high outputs against a relatively low level of investment – most significantly in terms of improved access to employment, housing, training and education and provides health, congestion and environmental benefits.”

The money comes from a £5 million pot awarded to the LEP by the Government’s local growth fund, with the rest of the cash going towards schemes in Crewe, Warrington and Wilmslow.

Cheshire West and Chester Council will use £680,000 to improve a 2.2km stretch of the canal towpath between the A41, Ellesmere Port and Chester – along with a significant access improvement to the canal towpath in Chester.

A further £640,000

will be spent building the Sutton Way boulevard, in Ellesmere Port, which will link 2,000 new homes in Ledsham Road to Cheshire College South and West, the University Church of England Academy and the town centre.

That cycleway will connect to the Stanney Lane boulevard, which links to Ellesmere Port Sports Village, Cheshire Oaks and the Enterprise Zone.

And £380,000 will go towards the A5117 cycle route – a 4.5km route connecting Ellesmere Port and Chester with the Thornton Science Park campus, Essar Stanlow oil refinery, Encirc and the new Portus cluster employment site.

A CWAC spokesman added: “The outcomes of this project include supporting people to lead active lifestyles, improving access to local employment and education, helping to reduce the growth in local car journeys, and reducing congestion and accidents at peak traffic times.

“Project costs are estimated at £1 million and delivery will be in phases starting at the end 2018, and completed by 2021.”

CWAC will now put forward business cases for each scheme to the LEP to obtain final funding approval.