Results from consultation on controversial A56 cycle lanes delayed for months

The results from a highly anticipated consultation about the pop-up cycle lanes along the A56 have been delayed.

The results will be collated and released once this year’s local elections have been completed in May. It is understood the council received thousands of responses to the consultation about the lanes, which have massively divided community opinion both in and around Trafford.

The cycle routes were introduced at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 to encourage social distancing and active travel. They also made use of central government funding specifically ring fenced for walking and cycling route improvements.

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With strong views on both sides of the argument, those against the lanes including drivers and bus companies have previously slammed Trafford council’s decision to install them due to the congestion they allegedly caused. Those in favour of the lanes however, including cyclists and local environmental groups, have praised them for providing active transport options, tackling car dependency and providing safe cycle routes in and out of the borough.

One cyclist said he has been commuting into Manchester from Trafford via the A56 and the lanes meant he felt safe on his journey for the first time in decades. Now, the council has announced the results of the consultation it ran last year on the future of the lanes won’t be released for months.

The delay is said to have been caused by the large number of responses received, meaning it has taken the authority ‘longer than expected’ to analyse the thousands of answers provided.

In a statement on the council website, a council spokesperson said: “This