THE Mersey Gateway project will enable people living in Halton to “just get out of the house”, an inquiry has heard.

By building a second bridge over the Mersey, residents’ health, worklessness and general well-being will improve, an expert said.

Dr Clare Twigger-Ross, a consultant in environmental planning, made her conclusions at the public inquiry in support of Halton Council.

Dr Twigger-Ross said: “Improved accessibility can provide improvements in terms of people finding and keeping work, use of health and education facilities, together with benefiting by enabling people to ‘just get out of the house’.”

She said that planned improved facilities for cycling and walking would improve health and wellbeing and make cycling a viable alternative.

After carrying out extensive studies into the social impact of the bridge, Dr Twigger-Ross said that, under a “do-nothing scenario”, areas of deprivation across the borough would remain.

She said: “In a do-nothing scenario, the future regeneration projects that target the areas most in need in Halton, will not be realised.

“Given this, the opportunities to improve accessibility and reduce worklessness, facilitating a cycle of success and securing related positive outcomes in Halton, are unlikely to be realised.”