At the Trafford Council Executive meeting on 25th July 2022, the ruling Labour administration set out the next steps in the delivery of the proposed Carrington Relief Road. The road was first proposed in the 2012 Trafford Core Strategy to increase capacity and alleviate congestion in the area and to better connect Partington. In September 2021, the Council chose a preferred route that would see the new road leave the A6144 and run through Carrington Business Park before re-joining the A6144.
An outline business case was prepared in 2018, which estimated the cost of the scheme at £34m, while the September 2021 update to Executive on the road stated that the anticipated cost was £29.4m and the funding shortfall of £12.1m. The July 2022 Executive report estimates the cost has grown to £56.3m, with a funding shortfall of £32m. The main factors for this cost increase are cited as inflation, diversion of services and rising construction costs.
Commenting on the road cost, Cllr. Daniel Chalkin, Shadow Executive Member for Climate Change & Transport Strategy at Trafford Council said “The spiralling cost of the proposed Carrington Relief Road is a real concern for residents and the Council, especially as in the worst-case scenario the project could cost £66m. The risk to taxpayers associated with the funding-gap is quite stark and could result in the scheme not being delivered at all. It is also noted that there is a significant risk to the scheme if there is a failure to rationalise the Carrington Business Park site by removing and relocating a complex array of private industrial pipelines and services.
“It’s not too late for the council to revisit their preferred route for the road across Carrington Moss and work with local residents to look at other options which could be delivered at less cost and have less detrimental environmental impact on the area. The Labour Administration, though, is determined to open up this area for development and are quite open about needing the road to do so. The Conservative Group has previously put on record opposition to the decision to forge ahead with progressing plans for a yet to be fully funded road through Carrington Moss, not least due to the Moss being an active carbon capturing peat bog which is subjected to regular flooding - and our position hasn’t changed.”
