As previously reported, the first meeting of the Alderley Edge Parking Forum was attended by concerned residents, business people, representatives of the three village schools and some parish councillors.
A number of ideas were ideas were discussed and suggestions made about how to improve the parking situation and traffic flow in the village.
This week I caught up with councillors Melanie Connor and Duncan Herald to discuss the initiatives they have been working on since the meeting on 9th January.
Alderley Edge Methodist Church has confirmed they have ten parking places available to rent on a first come first served basis at a cost of £55 per month. People can park there from Monday to Saturday, 24 hours a day if they wish and the car park is covered by CCTV*. Tesco Express were also contacted about the car park under their premises but this is already rented out.
The potholes have been filled in on the park car park off Ryleys Lane and councillors are looking into the covenant, which restricts the use of Alderley Edge Park, with a view to extending the existing car park to bring it up to London Road.
It has been decided that yellow lines will not be installed on Lynton Lane where parking blocks access to the Lynton Court Flats, preventing bin lorries from gaining access, but white H markings will be installed instead. These will restrict parking to specific spots and allow movement out of the driveways, like on the lower part of Trafford Road. It had previously been agreed, prior to the creation of the parking forum, to install H markings on the top end of Trafford Road to address the parking problems there.
Cheshire East Highways are considering installing yellow lines on sections of Macclesfield Road, where it is narrow and parking is perceived to be a danger. Cllr Connor explained "This will take some time before anything happens though but we will keep it moving and liaise with planners."
Cllr Duncan Herald has spoken with a resident of Clifton Street regarding the introduction of daytime parking for non-residents. Concern was raised at the meeting that the residents parking scheme has resulted in there being lots of empty spaces during the day, when the residents are at work. Meanwhile potential shoppers come along and cannot park so they leave the village.
Cllr Herald is hoping that a meeting will take place by the end of February to look into reducing the amount of parking spaces allocated to residents only, or reducing the times when these spaces are for the use of residents only.
Cllr Herald will also be meeting with Cllr David Topping, Environment Portfolio Holder, to discuss introducing a mixture of 1 hour, 2 hour and possibly some 20 minute bays in the village centre. The possibility of adding a second pavement on London Road over the railway bridge will also be on the agenda as will extending the double yellow lines up Congleton Road.
Additionally Cheshire East Council has been looking at what can be done to improve the situation with dangerous parking on Heyes Lane and Cllr Sue Joseph will be attending the LAP (Local Area Partnership) meeting at Wilmslow Police Station on Monday 10th February where road safety in Alderley Edge will be discussed.
* Craig Browne can be contacted on 07989 724492 if anybody wishes to enquire about parking availability at the Methodist Church.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Anyway, what i think firstly, is AE was screwed over when the bypass went in. Any other bypassed town gets money to change the flows and parking etc once the bypass opens, not here.
My thoughts on changes required, if there was some cash available.....
From the roundabout at The Merlin, the new 30 zone sign needs moved, people cant see it. Then a few repeater 30 signs on the way in, and the 30 painted on the ground at the horseshoe farm should also be painted for the traffic going out.
Then from the girls school the landscaping of the road should be aiming for a 20 zone all the way to The De Trafford. (like Presbury)
A mini roundabout at the Brook lane junction would slow traffic down. (many examples around here)
Then every pedestrian crossing should be on raised platforms (a bit like whats in Presbury)
Both central pedestrian crossings should be pushed out into the road (ie the pavement is extended onto the road beyond the car bays at the crossing) on the Gusto side, meaning the zig zags can be shorter, more parking. Don't know if this is possible, but you do see varying lengths of zig zags.
Both bus stops pavements should also be pushed out into the road, again more parking (and slows traffic down when buses pick up) as long as there's no waiting of buses allowed.
Look into angled parking in the center if possible, again more spaces, and slows traffic down with people reversing out.
A complete change at the Macc junction would be good, a roundabout maybe? This would cut the high speed downhill racers coming down Congleton Road.
Onwards to Congleton Road. Remember this is now a B road. The new double yellows have made a great job of increasing traffic speed down the hill by making it a nice clear run. I would remove the double central white lines further up, reduce the pavement width slightly on the gusto side and have parking bays all the way up the hill on that side. Half way down the hill a cobbled rumble type strip to slow traffic.
Further out, the structure of the double yellows are all wrong everywhere. Its set up for huge traffic flows pre bypass, and spaces should be created on these runs. Complaints about dangerous parking can sometimes (not always) be put down to the driver having to slow down to get past, in some cases can this not be viewed as a good thing?
Upper trafford road, could this not be one way? Then safe parking on one side up the entire road.
Awaiting interesting replies :-)
The people who live on Lynton Lane asked for double yellow lines at the entrances to their blocks of flats and double yellow lines on the short stretch of road opposite the entrances; so that bin wagons, ambulances etc. can get into the flats... yesterday CE came and painted single white lines at the entrances but nothing on the opposite sides... does this mean that CE didn't listen or does it mean that CE 'know best'?
When I meet with Councillor Topping I'll try to get that situation altered! Sigh!
Sadly a half baked scheme from Wesley Fitzgerald and his side kick at the time, Frank Keegan got together and persuaded the government to implement Cheshire East and Cheshire West and to abolish Macc BC and Cheshire County Council. As a result every qualified highway engineer was made redundant and no such review ever took place.
Many of the suggestions that Craig makes cannot take place in isolation - raised crossings need to be part of a total scheme - they cannot be installed without the rest of a scheme.
What we need is a complete review - using qualified personnel from the Council - but absent qualified personnel we still need a total review
"Concern was raised at the meeting that the residents parking scheme has resulted in there being lots of empty spaces during the day, when the residents are at work. Meanwhile potential shoppers come along and cannot park so they leave the village."
Our residents parking scheme has worked a treat - now I can come home at any time of the day or night and usually get a space in my street. For those who object about the empty spaces - you have to think about it - the only way this works is if there are empty spaces most of the time. Our scheme has transformed our network of streets, now we can come and go and park in the street where we live.
Seems to me that the Cheshire East approach is to let individual streets sort out their own problems. Some with yellow lines, some with H bars and some with Resident's parking schemes.
Please stop playing pushing the problem to another street game and resolved this for real!
If not then when a child get hurt or killed, I would like to see all councillors, business owners and long term parker to visit the family and apologise. Because their combined inaction or action are the caused of the accident.
However our objection is that residents have been granted exclusive day time use of these streets.
In total the village has lost a total of 50 day time parking spaces to resident parking schemes and the high street economy cannot sustain such a bashing. We deparately need our customers to be able to use spaces that are available. Small shops offer us a quality of village life that large supermarkets and charity shops cannot offer, and we should be supported not actively worked against by our council with schemes such as this one.
We are asking for one hour parking on these streets along side resident parking.
The roads are for everyone to use and should not be allocated for exclusive use by the few, this is an unjust system.
And incidentally, what happens on these streets at night and on Sunday? Are they not full of restaurant goers and night time workers? Surely these are the times resident s require parking spaces.
A large proportion of the residents of these roads do not work during the day as they are retired and therefore require the ability to park during the day as well as the evening. Additionally there are people, like me, who often come home during the day - prior to the introduction of this scheme, I would be unable to park anywhere near to my house and often had to park my car at the other end of the village in a paid car park. Is that fair? The purpose of residents' parking schemes is stated as follows "in many areas it is difficult for residents to park, due to long term parking by commuters, shoppers and visitors. The purpose of any scheme is to stop this and allow the spaces to be used mainly for the benefit of residents." Similar schemes are run elsewhere in the county; it's not an exclusive benefit for Alderley Edge residents.
Surely when a certain councillor gets his car park, this will be a moot point anyway as everyone will suddenly use that.
I have seen the point about house prices benefitting being referred to, albeit not in this discussion. Many of us have lived here for a number of years and expect to do so for many years to come. We never used to have an issue with parking near to our houses when we bought them, nor for years afterwards. It is the changes that have been made since that point which created an enormous issue for all of us. I couldn't care less if the residents' scheme had reduced my house price; it is the quality of life that it has brought back which is the important point.
These streets have effectively become private roads for which the residents pay a mere £50 a year. Is this fair?
And can any one explain to me why Clifton street residents have been given 14 spaces when there are only five homes on that street without their own off street parking? Is this fair?
I am asking for shared space on these streets, one hour for everyone and unlimited parking with a free permit for residents. This is fair.
My own view for donkey's years was that it was unrestricted parking and so long as we all parked carefully then there would mostly be enough space. My view was changed by the inconsiderate and incompetent parking that shop and office workers demonstrated repeatedly. We would often ask people to move up so that they did not take up two spaces and all we got in the morning was abuse.
So - quite frankly - the badly behaved motorists and the utterly hopeless Parish Council brought about the situation that now exists.
Any attempt to water the scheme down now would attract vigorous resistance from all those who benefit from these schemes. There is no point in bleating about it now - it's there for the foreseeable future.
I have instigated a review of the Clifton St scheme. It seems to me that the scheme should not be exclusive to residents, but should allow both permits for residents and parking for shoppers. I favour a mix of times, but I think we need more short stop spaces. I would support half hour stops in first few spaces of both Clifton St and Steven Street. Hopefully we will move the consultation along quite quickly.
Not for the first time, your memory fails you. The Parish Council were promised a scheme which included all the lines and signs being renewed, at the same time as any scheme implementation. The Parish Council were promised a scheme which would only go ahead if the Ward Member agreed - and I did not agree until we had seen evidence of lines being restored. There are a number of places within the village where it is impossible to issue penalty notices because the signs and lines are not legal.
As for the Parish Council being hopeless, I remember when you were a Member and two of our Lady Members argued the socks off you (a Barrister) and you picked up your papers and scuttled off down the back stairs!
And foreseeable future is not a long time for a blinkered man!
I think a review of all day office and shop workers parking are needed as they are the root cause of all parking issues around the village.
When you look at all the cars parked up now in the parks car park and around Ryleys Lane, Redesmere Drive, Eaton Drive, Brook Lane and its surrounding between 10am and 2:30pm. These are majority all day parkers as they work here in the village.
When it comes to 3-4pm then the whole village becomes a DEATH TRAP. There aren't enough spaces for parents to park safely to collect school kids. Then pulling out of any junction as there are so many parked cars the visibility is affected.
If the problem of all day parking is not resolved, I guess we would all be guilty for failing our children.
I believe all businesses should be encouraging their workers to cycle and use public transport. When we have a job vacancy the first thing we look at on a CV is that they live as near as possible to the bakery so that travel to work is not a problem.
We feel this is part of our responsibility as a business operating within the village community.
All day parking is not peculiar to Alderley Edge, but it still needs to be addressed. I wrote on a previous post, that my priorities as Ward Councillor, are, safety, protection of retail, neighbourliness, and school parking.
1) safety : H bars on Trafford Road to allow access and egress without causing dangerous traffic accidents. These have been delivered. Double yellows on Congleton Road, up to the brow around St Hilary’s Park, to prevent potential accidents caused on street parking. Double yellows on parts of Macclesfield Road, at traffic pinch points, to prevent parking at potential accident sites. Double whites at the brow of Macc Rd as cars come into and leave the village, to prevent bad overtaking practice.
The Double yellows and double whites should be proceeding through the system now.
2) It is time to review the residents parking scheme in Clifton St - which was always planned to be reviewed. This street needs to be a combination of resident permits and retail shopper use. I favour a mix of short stay (1/2 hour at first 4 or 5 spaces) and longer stay of 1 hour on the rest of the street. I also favour a short stay of 1/2 hour on the first 4 or 5 spaces on Steven St, with the rest of Steven St unchanged.
3) Neighbourliness, means allowing residents the right to enjoy their own facilities as much as anyone else. In Lynton Lane I had H bars put down to protect the access to the garages of residents (and where the bin lorries access) Next we need double yellows on small parts to allow free access for bin lorries (i.e. no parking opposite H bars so that the bin lorries can actually turn). But neighbourliness also means no all day parking on residential streets (in such a way that the residents are not able to move freely) So, some parking could be allowed "on street”, partly because it cannot be stopped wholesale, but it can be controlled so that the neighbours/residents are not disadvantaged. For that to happen, we will need consultation (and I mean proper consultation this time) on what is actually going to meet the needs of residents.
4) School Parking has been a long standing problem for many years, and Alderley Edge is not alone. Our problems are exacerbated by having 3 schools in close proximity. I think we have a way forward, which will take a wee while to implement in full. Firstly, I am hopeful that the Girls School and the Football Club will gain the right to use the “Land at Wilmslow Road” and part of the submission for that was the fact that the girls approaching by car from Wilmslow would park and walk from the car park of the new playing fields. Secondly we need street markings which allow enforcement of penalties for bad parking. And thirdly, we need walking buses to various spots. Ryleys Lane has two little lay-bys and they should be pick up points. The Wilmslow Road site can also be walking bus pick up points for Girls from all areas. The Park Car park on Ryleys Lane can be cleared of all day parking and used as drop off and pick up points for all 3 schools. The period between drop off and pick up could see the car park reduced to 3 hours no return, parking for all (including access to the park users!) and not forgetting being available for retail customers.
And, of course, in all of this, we need a car park on the Heyes Lane site which give us an opportunity to allow all day parking for a reasonable amount payable in monthly instalments.
We CANNOT move the cars which are currently on street, without having an affordable alternative. The car park will also service the Festival Hall and the Medical Centre.
And, let me say, again, Alderley Edge already provides FAR more Allotment plots than any of our larger neighbours of Wilmslow and Handforth, and our preferred solution is to protect the current numbers of plots, indeed to increase them.
At the risk of being shot down in flames I think all resident parking should be scrapped. Maybe it should come into force at 5 pm till 8 am but all day is wrong. These people buy their homes knowing they don't have a place to park their car so they should not expect a public road to become their private parking spot. I just don't see how anyone could argue otherwise.
I agree with you entirely, and I never thought I would write those words. It is not about altering the behaviour of every single parent, but about persuading the majority, who are decent law-abiding people, to behave. I am well aware that some women (generally) need to have their mouths washed out with carbolic soap!, but most are decent.
The counterweight to providing ample alternatives to illegal parking, is a system of fixed penalty notices - which can only be enforced by having proper road markings in place.
It is entirely true that it is not the role of a Council to enhance the value of a property by providing free parking to residents. However, the full picture is that residents in Clifton St used to take pot luck re parking. When the Traffic Enforcement started around 2009, suddenly people were being penalised unfairly. An example of that is a woman, unable to move her car because her husband had gone off with a second car and the baby car seat. Unable to leave the child, unable to take the child without the seat, she was fined. That was bordering on obscene.
However, the reverse of that is now true. Shoppers who used to be able to park with impunity, provided they kept the time limits, are now fined for parking in a free space. That is bordering on obscene.
The situation must be brought back into balance and the residents permit scheme must be altered to allow shoppers the right to park within certain time limits.
We should know - there is another election coming !
My position is quite clear; the introduction of on street traffic enforcement brought in new problems, which were addressed by resident permit schemes. I detailed the instance of the absurdity of penalty charges in Clifton St where a mother was virtually unable to move her car, and yet she was fined.
So, in order to stop unfair penalties for residents being near their own home, I am in favour of a permit scheme. However, correcting an injustice in Clifton St, or even Carlisle St should not lead to the situation of penalties for shoppers who previously enjoyed the ability to park for limited durations.
It should be perfectly possible to have residents permits from 8am to 8pm, sharing with limited time parking, for instance 1 hr, no return within 1hr, effective from 9am to 6pm.
This would give people the ability to be at home during the day, and to arrive home with a two hour window in which to find a parking spot for the evening.
What was introduced by CEC against Parish Council and Ward member advice was a sloppy cop out of not allowing shopper parking within the same Orders. This was probably because it would have meant proper enforcement (i.e. actually checking whether or not a vehicle had exceeded its allotted time). It is so much easier to penalise the unwary, and Clifton St is probably the highest generator of Penalty Notices of any street in Alderley Edge.
Is that clear enough for you?
http://bit.ly/1o9piHX
We need a solution before we ended up with same outcome.
And you opposed it.
And so we got what we have now.
Stop trying to re-write history.
Saturday 8th February 2014 at 3:55 pm
Frank.
... At the risk of being shot down in flames I think all resident parking should be scrapped. Maybe it should come into force at 5 pm till 8 am but all day is wrong. These people buy their homes knowing they don't have a place to park their car so they should not expect a public road to become their private parking spot. I just don't see how anyone could argue otherwise.
Frank Keegan
Saturday 8th February 2014 at 6:32 pm
Sarah,
I agree with you entirely, and I never thought I would write those words.
Frank Keegan
Sunday 9th February 2014 at 1:39 pm
Marc,
.....So, in order to sto unfair penalties for residents being near their own home, I am in favour of a permit scheme.
All the above cut and pasted; beats me which way the wind is blowing.
overflowing into Windermere Drive at the end near to the Park.I think that
residents should be protected from all day parking and signs limiting
parking to 2 hours are required.The current situation whereby the roads
become narrowed to the width of one vehicle is dangerous.
As nothing is being done, I guess I can start an airport parking business and use many of our Cheshire streets to dump clients cars.
Then if Cheshire East don't do anything, I win by the use of free airport parking spaces and I also win if they get their act together as we could see the end of this parking / obstruction nightmare!
Joking aside, this nightmare will end in tears if someone get serious hurt. Please sort it out!
Imagine you had to compete with them to park close to your house - then you would understand the problems and joy that we had in the streets where resident's parking is now in place.
Imagine the frustration with the Parish Council and Borough Councillor when they opposed our attempts to fix the problem.
If nothing happens in the next few months - join us in the voting booths at the next local elections !
Can anyone tell me the status of the report "ALDERLEY EDGE, CHESHIRE
Restoring streetscape quality and vitality" which looked at mixed use in London Road similar to Poynton and Exhibition Road, London.
Is is still being discussed , shelved , too expensive ?
best
Vin
The white H Bars painted on Lynton Lane have alas served no useful purpose; already since they were painted the bin-wagon has been unable to get to the bins at the rear of the flats...the H bars have nought to do with either the Parking Forum or me... we'll carry on asking for yellow lines, which the residents of Lynton flats have been asking for over a long period.
I am still trying to set up a meeting with CEC Councillor Topping to discuss the outcomes of the Parking Forum; its not proving as easy as I hoped it would be.
It appears the residents parking is more important, but some of the ideas I hoped people would discuss would add lots of car spaces and reduce speeds in AE.
I'm starting to think we need outside specialists, with no previous knowledge of old topics, are required to take a fresh look at the entire parking and traffic flow plan for AE, and come up with a master plan, which could then be worked on for financing.
Thanks for the update regarding Eaton Drive.
I would also suggest that a review of the dangerous bend by the school and also perhaps zig zag by the rear gate of the primary school since it is now being used more as a front entrance for the school.
Workers parking at around the 3 schools still cause MAJOR issue, It was very visible even last week when all 3 school was off on half term, the parking on Ryleys lane and surrounding area was just as bad.
As the Methodist Church has offered some very affordable parking for workers, has any been taken up?
To all Alderley Edge Businesses,
We have seen too many parked up around Ryleys Lane in suits and work wear! Many of us know where you work, so can the businesses get their act together and make sure they have provision for staff parking.
So has the Parking Forum had an effect? I would say 'yes', albeit in an indirect way... no doubt there are those at Cheshire East who will say that all was 'in hand' already BUT isn't it a coincidence that as soon as the people of A/E shout loudly that they are unhappy with a lack of action, than lo and behold things start to happen... Eaton Drive is to have some double yellow lines... Lynton Lane has some (pretty useless) H-bar white lines but C.E. are to return and add some double yellows... there will be double lines along Macc. Rd. (not sure where... something about at pinch points which I think is Highways Speak for at the narrow part)... as the old St. Hilary's field is about to be leased to the P.C. for use as 60 allotments, the Heyes Lane allotments will become an off-road car park (to be fair that was already in the pipeline, by the P.C.)...there are still parking places available at the methodist Chapel... there 'may' be lines on Ryleys Lane... there is a 'firm' plan to re-lay the surface of the car park in the Park and hopefully a system brought in to allow Park users rather than all-day commuters to park there (how will that work? dunno yet!)... etc. etc.
I suggest that we wait a month and see if all this happens and then decide whether you are satisfied or whether you want another meeting, to shout out for yet more actions.
Well done A/E citizens!
+ Heyes Lane / Moss Road junction remains an accident waiting to happen
Before you stop commuters parking in the car park in the park
Can you tell me where they will go ? If the answer is somewhere they have to pay, or is further away than the lakes, then my guess is that your working assumption is wrong.
Residents of Windermere and Redesmere Drive need to know that the all day commuters are coming their way and to think about whether they want this or not.
,
Hi Marc... In the longer term, onto the new car park on what was (still is) the Heyes Lane allotments site... in the shorter term, where they are 'cos i don't think C.E. will get around to this for a while... the residents of Redesmere and Windermere don't need to think that commuters are coming; the commuters are there already.
Hi Vin... never heard of it I'm afraid...t he junction between Heyes Lane and Moss Road is perceived as a danger but C.E. usually say that no site is a danger until after an accident! e.g. the junction of Heyes Lane and london Rd. is not they say a danger!
Then only solution is like all other town and villages is to mark every single street for short term parking (eg. 2 hours) and residents permit holders.
This one
http://bit.ly/1nhkIJY
Re Heyes Lane /Moss Road its not the junction as such but the illegal parking on the corner
We all saw how Wilmslow's Grove street was killed by being pedestrianised.
This sort of mixed traffic and pedestrians just drives people away.
isn't the mix of pedestrians and traffic what C.E. have tried for in Poynton? Does it work there? I was in S. India last month and the mix works there (though it scared me to pieces!).
now that you have posted the report, yes I remember it well (I just didn't recall the title)... I also recall that the writer of the report is the organisation that 'did' the re-design of Poynton town centre... allthough the report states that it was prepared for C.E. and A.E.P.C., I recall it as a C.E. initiative... why didn't the report lead to anything? ask C.E. Possibly cost? or possibly it was a modernity 'bridge-too-far'?
The idea for London Road and the area between Brook Lane and Heyes Lane has just been deferred because of funding. It was an AEPC initiative, and if you want to see shared space work well, go to Poynton and ask the retailers.
I have just looked at the pics for the Chapel Road/Macc Rd/London Road junction and it is brilliant. One of these days, some idiot will cause a major crash by flying round from London Road to go up Macc Rd. Any car coming from Chapel Road to join London Road or Congleton Road is at risk from speeding drivers.
Perhaps when we have settled the parking issues and the Medical Centre, we will come back to the shared space ideas.
Thanks for the update , its good that these sort of ideas are being given consideration. There are many similar examples across Europe in small towns.