Green Stockport

11.00.00pm GMT Fri 9th Feb 2007

Green Stockport

Green Route To Success

Stockport Council's pioneering Green A-Z map, which encourages people to walk or cycle, has launched its fifth edition this month, covering Gatley, Heald Green and Cheadle Hulme.

With four Green A-Zs already established, this new map is set to provide even more information on the borough for those people interested in getting out of their cars.

The Green A-Zs aim to get people walking or cycling around their neighbourhood by showing quiet, green routes, parks, cycle friendly routes, local shops, pubs and cafes, places of interest and bus stops. It turns a conventional guide on its head by categorising main routes according to the level of traffic, the amount of greenery and the condition of the route - and highlights steps and steep slopes so people with mobility difficulties can avoid them.

Councillor Hazel Lees, Stockport Council's Executive Member for the Environment, said: "It has become a habit to jump into our cars even for short trips. This is another way of encouraging people to leave their cars at home, get healthy by cycling or walking and make streets safer by having more people on them. Cutting unnecessary car journeys is also a good way to reduce our personal Carbon Footprint. A lot of positives from one single action."

The Green A-Z is just one resource which advises people on how they can leave their cars at home. For those people interested in cycling, the recently published Stockport section of the Greater Manchester Cycling map shows both off-road routes and quiet roads, together with other useful information on local amenities.

Councillor Lees added: "We have a whole range of initiatives that try and encourage the use of sustainable transport and we work closely with partners such as Stockport's Primary Care Trust, NHS and Stockport College to develop Travel Plans which offer viable alternatives to the car. We are not anti-car, but we are interested in improving road safety, reducing congestion and pollution where possible. Therefore, using what resources we have, we hope that these projects will make people aware of the options available to them and hopefully bring about changes to the way people choose to travel around Stockport."

The Green A-Zs are available FREE and can be picked up from your local library and information centres, or ordered directly by contacting the Council's Sustainable Transport Team on 0161 474 4395 or 0161 474 4886.