‘Awful’ driving standards on a 60mph country lane between Partington and Altrincham are putting cyclists’ lives at risk, according to a leading Trafford councillor.

Greens group leader Cllr Michael Welton raised the issue as the council’s cabinet discussed the £18.3m Levelling Up scheme to redevelop Partington sports village.

The plan is to start the redevelopment in October when the newly refurbished Altrincham Leisure Centre reopens after its own revamp.

People from Partington will then be encouraged to go to Altrincham using ‘active travel’ guidelines – including cycling – while their own sports facilities are closed for work to be carried out.

According to Cllr Welton the route along Sinderland Lane and Sinderland Road between the two communities is extremely dangerous for cyclists and he suggested to the Trafford cabinet the speed limit should be lowered to 40mph for safety reasons.

He says the situation is exacerbated by motorists travelling to and from the household waste disposal facility off Sinderland Lane in Broadheath and the Waitrose store.

Cllr Welton applauded Levelling Up scheme but said: “Presumably lots of people from Partington are going to be hopefully coming to Altrincham. But the active travel links between Partington and Altrincham are not great. 

“You do get a lot of people cycling along those lanes despite how dangerous it can be.

“The main reason it’s dangerous is because those are 60mph roads and how people [drivers] treat them, particularly between the tip and Broadheath, the standard of the driving is absolutely awful.

“The simplest way to make that better would be to bring the speed limit down to 40mph between Partington and Altrincham. That would make a huge difference compared to the current 60mph limit.”

Responding to Cllr Welton, deputy council leader Cllr Catherine Hynes said: “I think you do make an important point around travel to leisure centres and the active form of travel. 

“We do see it a lot that people jump in their car and drive to the leisure centre, do some exercise and jump back in the car and drive home again, so anything we can do to improve that active form of travel is a good thing.

“I do not know what the possibilities are around those lanes, but I do think we should look at that.”

The Department of Levelling Up, Homes and Communities agreed the grant for redevelopment of Partington Sports Village last year.

The deadline for its completion has been extended from March 2025 to March 2026.

Included in the scheme are the refurbishment of the leisure centre and the Cross Lane changing rooms; a new BMX/pump track at Cross Lane; refurbishment of Partington Youth and Community Centre; an new 3G pitch including access from Warburton Lane and improved connectivity between Cross Lane and Warburton Road.

Cllr James Wright represents Partington in the Bucklow St Martins Ward. He told the cabinet meeting: “This is a really exciting move in the right direction – for people in Partington finally to have something that they can be really proud of – somewhere they can go to in their own town to take part in physical activity that will be open all day which it isn’t at the moment and at the weekends as well.

“It will also bring people into Partington to use the facility because it’s going to be state-of-the-art – and excellent place to go – and that bodes well for the local economy as well.

“One of the other things that is really positive is improving the connectivity between Cross Lane and Warburton Road, to improve access to that leisure centre. As a ward councillor, I’m really happy to see this come forward.”