Alderley Edge residents are being consulted on proposals to reduce the speeds of vehicles travelling on one of the main roads in the village.
Councillor Craig Browne has been in discussion for some time with Cheshire East Highways regarding a new Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for Heyes Lane.
Cllr Browne explained "This TRO, which would be funded jointly between Alderley Edge Parish Council and Cheshire East Highways, would seek to improve traffic calming and reduce vehicle speed on Heyes Lane, through the creation of additional on-street parking bays.
"I have prepared a short online survey, in order to gain feedback on the proposals. Although the survey is open to all residents, I am particularly keen to hear the views of residents from the directly impacted areas of Heyes Lane."
The proposal is to remove the double yellow lines on two sections of the road to enable around ten parking spaces to be created.
As part of the scheme double yellow lines would be added to the northern part of Heyes Lane, from the junction with Davey Lane to No 51 Heyes Lane. The proposed scheme also includes the introduction of H bars across the driveways off 38 to 50 Heyes Lane.
Councillor Browne would welcome resident's views on whether you approve of this approach to creating additional parking spaces in the village and traffic calming.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Already a boy has been knocked down and hurt because of a van passing through on Heywood Rd
Is the pavement width going to be reduced? As there is no mention of this above...
Bin lorries , coaches etc will struggle if this goes ahead going off what I have just seen (and the car parked up had 2 wheels onto the pavement)
A. A busy junction
B. Double yellow marked
So I guess this will just add to the chaos!
I walked down Heyes on both Saturday and Sunday and there were one or two cars parked up so we are basically proposing to cause chaos on our residential streets to accommodate week day commuters/workers as these proposed spaces will not be used by people visiting the village for shopping or a meal IMO.
To Craig Browne I address my next comment has the "innumerate" Councillor with portfolio responsibility for finance and budgets ( I say innumerate as he gave my daughter the entire wrong set of figures for Council Tax) made a decision on budget allocations for capital expenditure on highways yet?? As you recall Heyes lane re-surfacing was delayed until this financial year. In May we were told by Highways that budgets and expenditure had not yet been set. We are now 3 months into the new financial year and we have been waiting since 2016 for action on this have you managed to hear any whisperings? RE parking on Heyes Lane I cannot expand that map and my eyesight is not what it once was alas! Suspending the double yelliws between Granthams /Moss Road and 50 Heyes Lane would be sheer madness ansd suicide as the road is TOO narrow so DON'T even consider it
I'm curious. How do you know that most of the 'high end super cars' are owned, not rented?
I agree, not ALL of Alderley Edge's traffic issues can, or should, be laid at the door of prestige car owners. However, the sad fact is that a very great number of those 'high end' cars are driven and parked inconsiderately, if not illegally, throughout the village. It is there for all to see.
For example, most of the cars parked on the grass verge at the junction of Davey Lane and Lynton Lane in the evenings and at weekends are 'prestige' (their owners are clearly too lazy or entitled to find a legal parking space that would entail a bit more of a walk to their dining spot of preference, i.e. Piccolinos).
Sure, there are still more modest vehicles whose owners park and drive dangerously or thoughtlessly, but if you choose to drive a conspicuous car (whether owned or rented), and then choose to break the law, you are more likely to be spotted. It's difficult to feel much sympathy for these culprits.
Of course, if you drive a 'high end super car' and drive safely and park considerately and within the law, there isn't an issue, is there?
If this is about creating parking spaces to offset the neverending, and seemingly never winnable, parking debate, then fire ahead, but don't put it down to speed. Or supercars (owned or rented). I don't know the relevance there. I never see any supercars down Heyes Lane, they seem to stick to London Road, Congleton Road, or Macclesfield Road, and the bypass.
As for double yellows, I see all types of cars parking on them. I live opposite double yellows that are on a sharp bend and frequently ask drivers of all types of cars not to park there, because it's dangerous. I say all types, but actually, I've never had to ask a supercar driver. So all types bar supercar drivers. However, regardless of types of car, until double yellows are actually monitored and drivers are penalised for parking on them, double yellows are pointless as so many people seem to ignore them and get away with it.
Though if we want to raise dodgy parking causing traffic issues, how about looking at all the builders lorries and vans clogging the roads and paths all over the village? Especially at the top of Macclesfield Road and bottom of Congleton Road.
And, can we please stop demonising speed in and of itself. 26% of road deaths occur because the driver didn't look properly. Reducing the speed limit doesn't increase the attentiveness or responsiveness of drivers. You could argue you'll increase the inattentiveness if people go into autopilot when driving very slowly.
Though you could use Heyes Lane once out of the village as an example of the inattentiveness and unresponsiveness of many local drivers, who pass national speed limit signs but, on fine days in perfect conditions, still pootle along at 30mph. This is either because they didn't see the sign (inattentive), didn't pay attention to the sign (unresponsive), or don't know the Highway Code and that when they're on a country road with no speed limit signs or street lights it's the national limit, which on a single lane is 60mph. And this isn't limited locally to Heyes Lane, it's the same on Macclesfield Road and Congleton Road.
Finally, thanks Craig for creating the survey and for the democratic approach you're taking. However, I wonder if you could tweak the wording. When I used to put questions into national surveys (e.g. YouGov) for work, we had to ensure the question and answers were objective and not leading. I'm not sure these questions and answers would pass their test. Your question 2 seems to assume everyone agrees speeding on Heyes Lane is an issue and traffic calming measures are necessary. I'd at least like the option to say they're not.
The report is here: https://bit.ly/2ztkWdN
A summary by the Telegraph is here: https://bit.ly/2u9RKmT
Finally, a much easier to read info graphic was created by DfT in 2015 on UK accidents. You'll see that motorways (while faster) are disproportionately safer than rural or urban roads (which have more going on therefore need more driver attention and response).
That infographic is here: https://bit.ly/2NEy9mW
So again, let's stop blindly blaming speed when it's proven that speed in and of itself is not the problem.
"Though you could use Heyes Lane once out of the village as an example of the inattentiveness and unresponsiveness of many local drivers, who pass national speed limit signs but, on fine days in perfect conditions, still pootle along at 30mph. This is either because they didn't see the sign (inattentive), didn't pay attention to the sign (unresponsive), or don't know the Highway Code and that when they're on a country road with no speed limit signs or street lights it's the national limit, which on a single lane is 60mph. And this isn't limited locally to Heyes Lane, it's the same on Macclesfield Road and Congleton Road."
So are suggesting we all do 60mph on leaving the village via Hayes Lane then, on a narrow country road with a blind bend at the end - sorry, but 30 - 40 is fine !
However, no-one is suggesting you stick to one speed, be that 60mph or 30mph, on any road. Your car allows you to amend your speed as the road and conditions change. Therefore, on the straight parts of Heyes Lane, in normal conditions, one can very safely do 60mph. When you come to the bend if you didn't break to a slower, and safer speed, more likely to be closer to 30mph, maybe even slower, you'd likely end up in the farm at the end of the road.
When I've had lessons with advanced drivers I've been told that you amend your speed according to the visibility. The further you can see, the faster it's safe to go (assuming there are no other hazards), and vice versa.
However, to argue that because a road has a blind bend you can't do faster than the bend speed on the rest of the road doesn't make sense and would just make for highly inefficient roads.