The much anticipated Alderley Edge & Nether Alderley bypass has now been open for over two months.
The first plans for the bypass were drawn up in the 1920's, so local residents have waited an awful long time and expectations regarding its impact on Alderley Edge were high.
Just before the new road opened Councillor Jamie Macrae, Cabinet member with responsibility for prosperity, said "The bypass will restore tranquillity to these historic villages" and having declared the bypass officially open on November 19th, George Osborne said "It is going to help local residents and I hope it will help the village get a new lease of life. This is one of the most affluent villages in the area but it has been cut in half by the road which carries 26,000 vehicles a day."
It is obviously still early days, and the weather has been rather unkind to shoppers since the bypass opened, so it is too soon to form a conclusion but I thought it would be interesting to catch up with a few local traders to see what impact they thought the bypass has had in the past two months.
Firstly I spoke with Pip Warne who makes most of the local deliveries for Alderley Flowers and therefore spends a lot of time on the village roads.
Pip told me "From a traffic movement point of view the village centre is much quieter with some junctions being much improved and others not so good. The bottom of Macclesfield Road is much improved and at most times it is much quicker to navigate the junctions with Macclesfield Road, Congleton Road, Chorley Hall Lane, George Street, London Road and Chapel Road.
"The downside, if there is one, is that vehicles are travelling much quicker, especially from London Road into Macclesfield Road, due to having less traffic in front which previously slowed them down. This means that leaving Chapel Road can be rather precarious and will no doubt be the scene of an accident in the not too distant future."
Pip added "The situation at the opposite end of the village is not changed to the same degree. As the bypass does not have exits along its length to head to Warford and Chelford, the junction from Wilmslow Road to Ryley's Lane is still quite busy."
Several traders commented that the village is now being used by people who had been put off shopping here in the past because off the heavy traffic.
Tracey Warne, who runs Alderley Flowers, told me "The very first afternoon the bypass opened I had two customers who said they lived on the outskirts of the village and normally didn't shop here as they didn't want to 'battle' the traffic and struggle to park, but that afternoon it had apparently been so easy! Since then I have had a few customers comment along similar lines."
Kath Foster, who has run Fosters Fish and Chips with her husband Gavin for 15 years, said "We haven't really noticed a huge effect either way on business. However, a chap from Handforth came in recently who wouldn't normally travel to us as it took too long, whereas he can do it now in 5 minutes so the food is still hot when he gets home!
"From a personal point of view, I am much more likely to nip into Alderley to go to the Co-op for a few bits. It wasn't worth it before the bypass because it took far too long but it's easier to park sometimes than going into Wilmslow."
Tracey Warne added "I think between 10am and 3pm traffic is quieter than before, but to be honest, not as quiet as I thought it would be. Also, unfortunately, HGV's are still hurtling through."
Pip Warne agreed "Some HGV's are still using the direct route through the village centre, as are the emergency services, who may be taking the shortest route but I wonder if they have actually tested the bypass route for timing?
"I have also noticed some big tractors with trailers still trundle through, which I always assumed to be bypass site traffic in the past.
"Increased speed due to less traffic is a big concern, maybe a sign showing a vehicle's speed near Gusto to slow down the speeders by shaming them, would help. We have had enough fatalities when the traffic was crawling through, what real benefit will the bypass be if it becomes even more dangerous to cross the London Road? Action is needed now not after it happens."
Heather Wienholt also felt "It is hard to tell if the bypass has had an impact or not on trade.
"While it has certainly been more peacefull in the village the foot fall seems to still be there. The bigger ecomonic issues going on at the moment are probably more cause for concern for the village traders.
"The traffic wardens seem to have calmed down recently and as you know I feel parking tickets are our biggest problem, if we are to encourage shoppers to keep using the village - hopefully the parking review will put an end to various current parking problems."
I also caught up with Jerry Dixon from Alderley Edge Golf Club.
He said "The club was concerned about the potential noise and visual impact of the bypass, but the effect has been considerably less than we'd anticipated.The traffic noise on the course is negligible, and visually the road has had very little effect.
"We do have a slight ongoing concern about the potential impact of surface water run-off from the road into Whitehall Brook. The drainage design should in theory prevent any increase in this, however it will only be over a period of time, and prolonged wet weather, that we can assess any possible adverse effect on the golf course."
Looking to the future Pip Warne felt that more effort is needed to attract visitors to the area, and the village in particular.
He said "The history of the 'Villas of Alderley', the fable of Merlin, the restaurants and hopefully the interesting shops plus other attractions could be much more widely promoted nationally. I don't know if anything like this has been tried but I know of a town in Leicestershire that actually has coach loads of visitors travelling from places as far as a 100 miles away for a day out to see the town and mainly to see the pork pie shop!
I've definitely noticed a big difference in traffic levels in the village since the bypass opened, particularly in the mornings when I walk my daughters to school. London Road is no longer gridlocked back to Congleton Road and living just off this road it is certainly quieter, before the bypass HGV's used to come hurtling down Congleton Road from about 5am - making quite a racket.
How did you think the bypass has affected the village since it opened over 2 months ago? Let us know your thoughts via the comment box below.
