Park is "only really viable option" for new car park

IMG_0992

Having spent months in negotiations with Cheshire East to try and find a solution to the parking problem in Alderley Edge, they have reached the conclusion that there is only one viable option for creating additional parking spaces.

Councillor Craig Browne provided a parking update at the Parish Council meeting on Monday, 12th December. He explained that whilst it was technically possible to change the use of allotment land, to enable some car parking spaces to be created at the Heyes Lane site, the Head of Assets at Cheshire East explained to him that allotment land is heavily protected under the 1925 Allotment Act and that there is a complex process that has to be gone through.

This includes: identifying an alternative plot site of a comparable size; securing the agreement of the plot holders to be displaced; investigating whether the land covenant can be removed; and gaining the consent of the Secretary of State.

Over the last few months, the Assets Team have been exploring potential Cheshire East owned land that they would be prepared to release for use as an alternative allotment site. They came back with five potential sites, two of which were more or less disregarded straight away, as they were in Wilmslow. In Alderley Edge, Councillor Browne was offered the playground at Beech Road and Chorley Hall Lane football field.

He explained "Neither of these were really appropriate: Beech Road, because it is already quite a small play area and is the only nearby amenity for people living on the Bollin Fields estate; and Chorley Hall Lane, because sports fields share a similar level of protection to allotment sites.

"This left one remaining option, which is the square plot of land between the tennis courts and the existing Chorley Hall Lane allotments, adjacent to the railway line. This would allow for a partial relocation of Heyes Lane and in the view of the officers, would be the most defensible solution, as it could be promoted as an enhancement to the Chorley Hall Lane allotment site, rather than being detrimental to the Heyes Lane site; however, it would clearly involve the loss of a small area of park land and so I think there would be a need for us to re-consult on this, before taking things further."

In the meantime, Cheshire East legal officers are investigating the land covenant issue.

Councillor Browne continued "Given the complexity of the process involved, we are realistically looking at a period of years rather than months before this option becomes a reality and so I also had a further meeting with the Head of Parking Strategy and the relevant CE Cabinet Member to explore what other solutions, preferably with a shorter time frame, might be available.

"The view is that the only really viable solution (involving CE-owned land) is to extend the existing Ryleys Lane Car Park eastwards towards London Road. Cheshire East have therefore agreed to prepare a business case for (a) extending this car park by 40 spaces at ground level; and (b) future-proofing this by adding a single deck which could accommodate in the region of a further 60 spaces."

The business case for this scheme will be prepared by the end of February 2017, before going before Cabinet for consideration for funding.

Councillor Browne said "Like the previous option, this would also involve loss of our park land, although there is a case that including some short-stay spaces could help to make the park more accessible. Although we consulted almost a year ago on the possibility of extending Ryleys Lane Car Park, the Parish Council had proposed only to extend upwards, rather than outwards, so again there will be a need to re-consult."

In addition to creating 100 new car parking spaces at Ryleys Lane, there is also the potential for a long stay car park with 50 spaces on land off Wilmslow Road if a developer is granted permission to build 50 houses on the Green Belt site.

Craig added "What I have tried to do, though my negotiations with Cheshire East, is to develop a strategy which, rather than placing all the eggs in one basket, will provide for a mixture of shorter and longer stay parking, at different locations around the village, deliverable over a timespan of between 18 months and five years, with the burden of cost spread between the Parish Council (in respect of Heyes Lane), Cheshire East Council (in respect of Ryleys Lane) and potentially a developer (in respect of Wilmslow Road). It isn't perfect and I suspect it wont be universally popular, but it does set out a clear road map to create up to 190 new spaces which would relieve pressure on nearby residential streets and the village economy."

Tags:
Alderley Edge Park, Parking, Parking
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Fenton Simpson
Tuesday 13th December 2016 at 8:35 pm
It's good to know that all the options are being looked at properly by the PC and CE.
Good work by Craig who seems to have a much better relationship with CE than his predecessor who alienated them at the cost to this village.

More work to do on all fronts by lots of people and local groups to improve and maintain our village.
Peter Bean
Wednesday 14th December 2016 at 9:22 am
Well done, Craig. The potential solution of the 2-deck park as an extension to the Ryleys Lane existing one seems to me to tick all the boxes. Count me as a voter in favour!
Peter Bean.
Fenton Simpson
Wednesday 14th December 2016 at 12:48 pm
The area of the park proposed is very under used and very wet and muddy at times and being close to the schools could help the issue with Ryley's lane twice a day.
Duncan Herald
Thursday 15th December 2016 at 7:45 am
re. wet and muddy.
New land drains put in a few years ago; large lorries driving over them may have damaged them?
As the land drains are new-ish, their exact whereabout will have been recorded and so they could be examined and if damaged, then repaired ? Or at least repaired where there won't be a possible new car park and so football etc. (for kids) could go on, without wet and muddy ?
Ricky Lee
Sunday 18th December 2016 at 7:45 am
The main problem is the village streets and Ryleys Lane car park are blocked by over hundred of day parkers. If we convert ALL our streets and Ryleys Lane car park to short term and resident parking (just like Wilmslow) then the problem is solved.

People that park freely all day must find alternative. I can't see other village or city provide free all day parking for workers. Have anyone tried to find free all day parking space in Wilmslow, Knutsford or Manchester.

Get real!
Duncan Herald
Sunday 18th December 2016 at 2:44 pm
Having re-read the article above, I confess to being a tad unjoyful.

One part of the Park is to be (possibly) an extention of the existing car park' (aka phase two).
No great worries with that perhaps, as it is a piece of land not much used.

But to then consider taking another chunk; is that a cut-too-far? Is this risking turning the Park into a small village green ?

Also from the above article, the point that two of the list of possible pieces of land were disregarded (as alternative allotment sites) as they were in Wilmslow.
Is it not a fact that traditionaly some of the Heyes Lane allotments were/are used by Wilmslow residents? So why not (if needs be) be prepared to utilise land in Wilmslow for Alderley Edge resident allotment users?

A last thought: the above article states that 'a complex process has to be gone through' to turn allotment land into a car park. That's always been known. Should it not be looked into? After all, Cheshire East seemingly were happy enough to turn quite a large part of the Chorley Hall Lane Playing Field into a car park and one assumes that such would be as much of a 'complex process' ?

Oh well, Happy Christmass/Winter Festival/Whatever.