Some much needed additional parking spaces will be created in the centre of the village shortly.
Initially, there will be a further four spaces on London Road, outside Gusto. Additionally the three disabled or doctors spaces outside the old surgery on George Street will be made available for everyone o use.
However, we will be losing two spaces on Chapel Street. The two disabled spaces will move over to the other side of the road, so that there will be parking on one side of Chapel Street only.
The plans to create these additional five parking spaces in the village centre will be going out to public consultation shortly.
Councillor Craig Browne explained "The work is being funded through the Local Area Highways Partnership and is the first in a series of changes we will be making to increase the number of parking spaces in the centre of the village. Further details will follow on these over the next few weeks, but incrementally we will be seeking to create about 14 new on-street spaces.
"There will be a period of public consultation on the changes, which should be carried out by CE Highways in September and will last for three weeks. Hopefully there will be no objections and this will enable the work to be scheduled before Christmas."
Councillor Browne added "In the run up to the 2015 elections, we promised to make parking our No. 1 priority. These changes are just a part of our strategy to fulfil that promise. The changes at Chapel Street were also considered necessary because of its narrow nature, which really makes parking on both sides of the road impractical."
The proposals were first discussed during a site visit last year, involving Highways Officers, parish councillor Mike Taylorson and Craig Browne.
Comments
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Alas the double yellow lines to be shortly painted on Trafford Road (between Chapel Lane and Macclesfield Road) will mean a loss of approx. 27 spaces.
Several contributors, including one Parish Councillor,have suggested that part of Trafford Road could simply become one-way; thus keeping the parking places.
Alas, as yet, no reply from any of the authorities concerned.
By the way, can anyone up-date the General Public (that's you and I) on the situation re. the proposed new car parks on Chorley Hall Lane Sports Field and on Heyes Lane Allotments e.g. is planning permission needed and if so has it been applied for?
Also who will pay for the proposed new car parks and is there a business plan and costings which we can please have a look at?
The illegal parking outside Gusto already causes a dangerous pinch-point, reducing the A34 to a single lane.
I have seen many near-misses and the idea of creating 4 parking bays there seems nonsensical.
In my opinion the risk of a serious accident far outweighs the benefit of an additional four parking bays.
This is not a smart move and more spaces at that point will result in accidents. Already a significant narrowing of the highway requiring an alert motorist to give way when there's just one car illegally parked on the current double yellows close to Gusto.
Tinkering with a few new spots here and there look desperate and continues to blur the big picture.
Why has it all gone quiet about providing significant new spaces on the Heyes Lane site? What's happening? Why is there no news on this?
They got into office 15 months ago by saying they'd sort out the parking problems .....
but it's come back to haunt them.