PLANS for a new relief road in Carrington could be a reality in the next five years.

According to council reports, designs for the Carrington Relief Road are set to be finalised and presented to the public in the next phase of the plans.

Last year, Trafford Council announced its preferred route for the road, which it says is designed to alleviate congestion in the area and better connect the village to opportunities across the rest of the borough and Greater Manchester.

The route would cross Carrington Moss, which is home to endangered species of mammal, bird and amphibians, and also features environmentally vital peat bogs, which act to lock carbon from the atmosphere in soil.

More than 1,600 people signed a petition calling for a rethink of the plans towards the end of 2021, after the preferred route across Carrington Moss was confirmed.

Traffic, budget and environmental impact assessments were carried out on all proposed routes for the relief road and the council’s preferred route across the Moss came out on top.

At the time, council members said environmental surveys of the planned route would be conducted in full as part of the planning applications process.

Now, in its latest update ahead of a council scrutiny meeting on Wednesday, January 12, a report has suggested the new road could become a reality within the next five years and the next steps have been revealed.

The report said: “The Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2040 Delivery Plan 2021-2026 identifies the Carrington Relief Road as a project which can be delivered in the next five years.

“Much of the traffic, particularly HGVs, will use the new route thereby allowing for traffic calming measures and improved walking, cycling and public transport access on the existing A6144 route.

“The Carrington Relief Road will also deliver improved bus access to the Carrington area as part of wider improvements planned, this could include improved bus stops, priority bus junctions and greater service frequencies and routes.”

The report added that the next stage of the relief road plans will involve a fine-tuning of the preferred route design, more traffic surveys in the area and another formal public consultation in which local residents and businesses will be able to share their views on the more detailed proposals.

An environmental impact statement will also be prepared and a planning application for the road will then be submitted.

Following that, a full funding assessment will be made by the council, including applications it needs to make to various government or other bodies for further funding of the project.

A formal decision by the council’s executive will then be needed before final plans can proceed.

The road falls within a wider masterplan for the area, known as New Carrington, which is set to feature more than 4,000 new homes and hundreds of thousands of square feet of new business space.