A new draft street design in Bebington led by local people will be the focal point of discussion at workshops on 8 February and 9 February.
The design features a walking and cycling network, including upgrades on footpaths and pavements throughout the one-mile square area, as well as new cycleways, new and improved green spaces, safer streets around schools, more bins and better lighting.
It was created by the charity Sustrans and is part of By Ours Bebington, a community project in partnership with Wirral Council, where the whole neighbourhood works together to design safer, healthier streets for everyone.
Urban designers used local peoples’ comments in a survey and workshops about what they liked and what they wanted to improve on their streets to form the basis of the new plans.
Everyone in the project area was sent a flyer inviting them to the workshop on 8 February.
The draft design will be refined based on feedback from the workshops and will then be shared with Wirral council. They will then seek funding to implement some of the ideas.
By Ours Workshops
Wed 8th February 2023, 1pm – 3.30pm Cornerstone Church, 216 Bebington Road, CH63 7NY
Register at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/draft-design-workshop-afternoon-by-ours-bebington-tickets-478192325117 
Wed 8th February 2023, 5.30pm – 8.30pm Bebington Royal British Legion, 289 Teehey Lane, CH63 8QS
Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/draft-design-workshop-evening-by-ours-bebington-tickets-478212214607
Thurs 9th February 2023, 7pm – 8.30pm Online.
Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-draft-design-workshop-by-ours-bebington-tickets-478220098187
Lou Henderson, By Ours Bebington project officer said, “We are very excited to show local people these street designs and to hear your feedback. They were created in response to what people said in our survey earlier this year and via our online map, as well as through a series of face-to-face workshops.
“We want to hear from you if the designs reflect what you asked for, whether they will work on the ground and how we can improve them further. Local people are the experts on their own streets, so it’s really important that everyone gets a chance to give their views. Please do come along to one of the workshops if you can.”
Councillor Liz Grey, chair of Wirral Council’s Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee said, “Lots of local people have been taking this chance to get involved in the By Ours Bebington community project in partnership with Wirral Council. This is a real chance to make their streets safer and more pleasant, and now it will be great to see the response to the proposals being brought forward. The people who live and work in this area know better than anyone what will work for them and it’s been incredibly pleasing to see their input being used to develop the designs.”
Suggested design improvements include nearly 2km of traffic-free paths, as well as dropped kerbs or continuous footways, narrowing junctions and restricting pavement parking on existing roads. There are also improvements for safety on school streets, in the areas around Heath Road, St John’s Schools and Townfield lane.
Designers highlight four proposed areas to reduce through traffic in the area, 14 new or upgraded crossing points as well as junction improvements in two local centres. There would also be new cycle lanes separate from traffic on Old Chester Road and Teehay Lane/King’s Road.
The design features improvements to the Higher Bebington Recreation Ground, as well as five other green spaces in the area. In addition, four ‘local centres’ are highlighted for improvements such as planting, seating and litter bins.
By Ours works with residents, businesses and schools to improve local streets. The whole community comes together to design a vibrant neighbourhood with cleaner air, where more people walk to shops and services, stop and chat to each other, and children can play out.
By Ours is a partnership project with Sustrans, Wirral Council and Liverpool City Region, funded by the Freshfield Foundation.
It is one of three new community engagement projects in Liverpool City Region that are helping local people take action to deliver safer, healthier streets for everyone.
For more information and to register for events please visit: https://www.by-ours-bebington.org.uk/
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