PLANS for a new railway station at Carr Mill are back on track after St Helens Council’s cabinet approved proposals to earmark more than £500,000 of match funding towards a proposed junction improvement scheme.

Earlier this year, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority agreed to submit an Expression of Interest to the Department for Transport (DfT) in response to its £150m highways pinch point fund to reduce congestion on local roads.

Out of six shortlisted candidate schemes submitted across the city region, St Helens Council’s application for the A580/A571 Carr Mill Road ranked first to install improved safety measures around the junction to support proposed regeneration activities in the area, including a new residential development, and railway station outlined in the Combined Authority’s ‘Long Term Rail Strategy’ and metro mayor Steve Rotheram’s 'Merseyrail for All’ plan.

St Helens Star:

The application for a junction improvement scheme on the A580/A571 Carr Mill Road the to support future economic growth was ranked first out of six shortlisted candidate schemes

Costing £5.61m in total – the improvement scheme, should the Liverpool City Region be allocated pinch pot funding, would see a new traffic signalled controlled junction installed on Carr Mill Road at its junction with the A580 East Lancashire Road – as well as extending left and right turn lanes on A580 East Lancashire Road to improve journey times.

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The new junction layout would also provide integrated access for all modes of transport to the proposed Carr Mill railway station that could be delivered on the current network as it would not require new lines or connections – as well as support a residential development scheme for 150 properties, a minimum of 30 per cent of which will be affordable homes.

A planning application for the housing development is expected to be submitted during the first quarter of this year.

St Helens Star:

Cllr Bond

St Helens Council’s cabinet member for finance, Cllr Martin Bond, said: “As a council we’re committed to investing in our road network which in turn can help support economic growth – so I’m delighted that we have come out on top to secure this funding which is a massive coup for us and will allow us to unlock development in an area which had had several false dawns over the years.

“The A580 is one of the main gateways in and out of St Helens, providing access to the wider City Region and beyond. But if we’re to benefit further from our prime position on the road network to attract future growth, we need a better connected borough. This scheme - together with the works going on a mile or two down the road at Pewfall, and the new and improved Windle Island - can help us reach our potential."