TOWN hall chiefs are expected to receive a £1.7 million boost to help Warrington residents leave the car at home and get more active.

The Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has set aside funding to develop the Burtonwood to Omega path, Chester Road cycleway, and to upgrade the Trans Pennine Trail.

In a report issued by the LEP’s local transport body Roy Newton, transport director, said the funding would go towards ‘essential transport infrastructure designed to overcome walking and cycling barriers to key economic destinations’.

He added: “The package aims to deliver high outputs against a relatively low level of investment – most significantly in terms of improved access to employment, housing, training and education and provides health, congestion and environmental benefits.”

The money comes from a £5 million pot awarded to the LEP by the Government’s local growth fund, with the rest of the cash going towards schemes in Chester, Crewe, Ellesmere Port and Wilmslow.

Warrington Borough Council will use £600,000 towards upgrading the Trans Pennine Trail between London Road and Chester Road, which is in poor condition due to wet weather.

A further £600,000 will be spent on the Burtonwood to Omega shared use path, which is expected to cost more than £1 million – with the rest of the cost covered by borrowing and a contribution from the Omega development area.

The path will run alongside Burtonwood Road from north of junction 8 of the M62, to the edge of Burtonwood village, with the hope of connecting residents to job opportunities at Omega and Gemini.

And £500,000 will go towards the £1 million-plus cost of the Chester Road cycleway – providing a safer route to replace the current cycle lane between the Trans Pennine Trail and the town centre.

A spokesman at Warrington Borough Council added: “Warrington has identified three projects which were selected on the basis of their high economic benefits to cost ratio (BCR) and value to the local economy.

“Business cases will be produced for each scheme to obtain final funding approval by the LEP.”

Work on both the Burtonwood and Chester Road schemes is expected to begin in 2019, while the Trans Pennine Trail upgrade is scheduled for 2020.