Active Travel St Helens
Active travel is all about making journeys by walking, wheeling or cycling.
Since its adoption, St Helens Borough Council has developed its own localised St Helens Borough Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) (PDF) [14MB], which is the creation of a long-term plan, aimed at dramatically improving the safety, comfort and attractiveness of walking, wheeling and cycling in the borough, by focusing on how to connect key settlements to local destinations.
A great deal of research has helped inform the development of the plan, alongside a 6-week public consultation on the Draft LCWIP, before the final LCWIP was adopted by Cabinet in April 2023. If you want to know more about the adopted St Helens Borough Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, we have a dedicated page at sthelens.gov.uk/LCWIP.
We will keep this page updated with our latest plans and provide opportunities for our local communities to help us shape where we should focus our efforts and provide feedback on proposals.
Current Projects
Parr Street / Peasley Cross Roundabout Improvement Scheme
Parr Street/Peasley Cross Roundabout is a busy 5-arm junction with limited facilities for walking, cycling, and wheeling. This area is crucial for trips to and from the town centre and railway station, but current infrastructure discourages safe and easy travel.
Why the Junction Improvements are Needed
Consultation from our adopted Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan and the Commonplace Liveable Streets crowdsourcing exercise undertaken in 2021, identified the junction as a priority area to improve movement for all users.
The current layout provides inadequate facilities to enable walking, cycling and wheeling, especially for those with disabilities, or who depend on mobility aids or those with young children.
Proposed Improvements
New and Improved Crossings: New signalised crossings for walking, cycling, and wheeling on Peasley Cross Lane and Parr Street East, with the existing crossing on Linkway East moved closer to the roundabout.
Key Benefits
- Clearly indicating and simplifying when and where to cross
- Allowing people walking and cycling to cross multiple vehicle lanes safely
- Tactile paving and signalised equipment benefit visual, and mobility impaired users cross the road safely
- New Cycle Tracks: Segregated cycle tracks around the roundabout
- New Bus Stop: On Peasley Cross Lane for better access to St Helens Retail Park
- Smart Traffic Signals: To improve journey time benefits to the wider route
- Highway Improvements: Includes carriageway resurfacing, new road markings, signage and drainage improvements
How the Scheme is Funded
Funding has been secured from the Department for Transport's Active Travel Fund and Liverpool City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. The funding award is specific to the proposed improvements and cannot fund general highway maintenance.
These enhancements will make the area safer and more accessible, enabling more people to walk, cycle, wheel and implementing highway improvements which will benefit all users.
Construction Timescales
Further site investigations are proposed to take place during late May 2026. While traffic management measures will be in place, all routes will remain open to traffic.
Construction of the full scheme is expected to commence later this year.
Cowley Hill Liveable Neighbourhood Phase 2
Delivered in partnership with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, this community-led initiative began in 2022 and continued into 2023 with engagement to identify local challenges and opportunities for improving streets and public spaces. In 2024, Phase 1 introduced traffic-calming measures, improved accessibility, and created a new traffic-free path through Bishop Road Playing Fields to support walking, cycling, and wheeling for everyday journeys.
Whether travelling to school, work, or the shops, a route is often only as good as its hardest crossing. Phase 2 therefore focuses on the following locations to make crossing roads easier and safer:
- Junction of Bishop Road, Cowley Hill Lane and Gamble Avenue - This scheme was completed in Spring 2026, reducing the size of the junction to better suit the residential area. By adding improved crossing points, and reducing traffic speeds, this scheme will make it easier to travel between Victoria Park and Cowley International College.
- North Road (North of Rutland Street) - A new traffic signal-controlled pedestrian crossing is proposed to improve safety and convenience for those crossing the busy road, to be implemented Summer/Autumn 2026.
A summary of the delivery of the Cowley Hill Liveable Neighbourhood on the link below:
Cowley Hill Liveable Neighbourhood Briefing (PDF, 2 MB)
To learn more about the Cowley Hill Liveable Neighbourhood scheme and schemes delivered as part of Phase 1, please click the link below:
To learn more about other current active travel schemes, please click the links below:
