There have been various groups formed over the last 30 years and they have all raised awareness. Sadly none are active now, however the plan is to get a group back into action.
Many Reports have been conducted over the years and each shows a need for change. To the side you can view various reports that have been conducted over the years and below is a timeline of events or group actions.
- 1993 – Calveley and Alpraham Bypass Action Committee (CABAC) formed. A start by residents to try to do “something” about the A51 and the dangers perceived locally to Calveley and Alpraham.
- 1993 November – a lorry, travelling towards Chester, crashes through the railway bridge wall onto the track.
- 1994 – Lorry crashes through the fence of Station House. More Chronicle articles, CABAC quoted.
- 1994 – A41 bypass for Christleton and Waverton cancelled.
- 1994 – Gwyneth Dunwoody & CABAC meet the roads minister (Conservative) and a bypass is entered onto the “10-year” strategic roads plan.
- 1996 – CABAC expanded to include Duddon and Clotten. Now called A51 Environment Group.
- 1999 – A51 removed from the 10-year plan in government cost cutting plan
- 1999 – A51 Environment Group produce a report on the A51 – The Case for Change
- 2001 – A51 de-trunked by Labour Government. Highways Agency do one further resurfacing (very quickly and cheaply) then handed A51 to Cheshire County Council for all future maintenance, etc.
- 2009 – Jacobs produce a report on options for a Calveley and Alpraham bypass
- 2009 – Cheshire East Council (CEC) & Cheshire West Council (CWaC) commission a report from Mouchel about the whole of the A51 for which they are (collectively) responsible – M6 J16 to A55. Shows that the traffic levels are higher than on nearly all other non-trunk roads.
- 2013 – Chronicle asks “why not reopen Calveley station”?
- 2015 – Michael Jones (Leader of CEC) reported as pushing for a new (additional) bypass for Nantwich using HS2 money/investment.
- 2017 – A51 Environment Group expanded to include all parishes along the A51 between Nantwich and Chester. Name changed again to “Action for the A51” group. Meetings held at Duddon village hall.
- 2017 – LEP issue their Transport Strategy to support the SEP (Strategic Economic Plan).
- 2017 – Presentation, from Action for A51 Group, to both the LEP and the Local Transport Board (combined CEC, CWaC, Warrington group, chaired by Peter Waterman). This presentation had several updates through 2017 and 2018.
- 2018 – TfN (Transport for the North) issue their Strategic Plan and the subset Roads Report. Both mention the A51 as needing action.
- 2019 – The Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) of the cheshire councils, CWaC and CEC commit to funding a A51 Corridor Study. Start affected by Covid and slow funding form CEC. Survey was done during COVID
- 2023 – Jacobs Corridor Study reported. Recommends further work including undertaking a traffic flow analysis for the whole A500/A51 on the same weeks everywhere.
- 2024 – LEP changed from central funding to local funding and now no resources at either LEP, CEC or CWaC.
- 2024 – Meeting held with LEP and a CEC Councillor to kick off a renewed effort to bring authorities together. The result is an organised independent group is needed to bring pressure to the councils