Further works have been carried out in the village centre over the weekend to make the parking restrictions enforceable on London Road and the side streets.
For the second consecutive Sunday, work commenced at 6am to repaint the lines on London Road, which included the section between the Bar and Grill and Grill on the Edge - which was previously unrestricted parking.
Cheshire East Council's Highways Department has painted double yellow lines along this stretch, resulting in the loss of another 5/6 spaces at a time when local businesses and residents are reporting huge problems with parking in the village centre. Many say the situation has worsened following the closure of 15 spaces at The Parade car park (which will close completely from 8pm on Saturday 31st May until the new store opens on Thursday 12th June) and the introduction of permit-only parking at the Festival Hall.
I have contacted Cheshire East Council and I am waiting for confirmation from the Highways Department as to whether the double yellow lines should have been painted on this stretch of London Road or whether the plan was to add white lines to mark parking bays.
Updated 6pm Tuesday 27th May.
Cheshire East Council has confirmed that the yellow lines were painted on the stretch of London Road outside the Bar and Grill and Grill on the Edge in error.
A spokesperson for CEC said "It was a human error which will be rectified at the next available opportunity when it is dry. When done properly this stretch will be a limited waiting bay."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with parking between the Bar&Grill and Grill On The Edge.
It did not create a problem as there is already restricted parking on the other side of the road and to now have double yellow lines on BOTH sides of the road is just plain stupid !
Add to the fact someone decided a few weeks ago to make all the parking bays around the Festival Hall "Permit Holders Only" just makes the parking problems in the village worse.
So, Why were the parking bays around the Festival Hall altered to "Permit Holders Only" ?
There must be a hidden agenda here by someone for this to be implemented ?
Answers on the back of a fag packet, please ?
Guess these new yellow lines won't alter the parking of the selfish lot that regularly park in the bus stop.
Maybe it's all a master plan to get people thinking the allotments need to be got rid of and tarmaced over for parking. Funnier things have happened. :)
Lets hear some loud voices from our local businesses who pay business rates to be in this fab village.
No regard seems to have been given to the elderly shopper who relies on getting around by a car. With a 1hr parking restriction on the remaining streets that we are still allowed to park, again stops consumers being able to use the facilities in Alderley to go for a meal or spend an afternoon shopping - one really wonders what level of IQ these people at Cheshire East actually have or are they just destined to ruin our local businesses.
The Festival Hall has permits issued to 44 cars who are now off the streets. Cheshire East changed the Parking Order, because they had to quit the parking control when the building work starts on the Medical Centre.
No need for a car park at Heyes Lane? The 44 permits want to increase and come to Heyes Lane. We could do Heyes Lane car park, then we would have the opportunity to move South St car park to a 3 hour max. That would be a big bonus for the retailers. Nobody likes change, but if we don’t create change ourselves the village will die - or just become a haunt for drinkers who pay no local rates - Business Rates go to Westminster, before anyone starts.
Instead of all venting your spleen about a contractor mistake, why don’t you put pressure on the Allotment Society to move off Heyes Lane. Fifty per cent - 50% -of the Allotment Holders on Heyes Lane are non resident for tax purposes (they don’t live in the village).
Councillors can be a pain, but sometimes they need a bit of help from the electorate to make things happen.
CEC and Cheshire Police have let travellers park on double yellow lines at Earls Road Handforth for months on end, you can't have one rule for one as they say.
Maybe somebody should sponsor me to walk to work rather than drive and at least I could raise money for a local charity
Any ideas would be welcome?
We are not mind-readers. You criticise us for "venting our spleen" ? .............
However, how did we know the painting of double yellow lines was an error ?
We were all incensed that double yellow lines were painted outside the Bar & Grill and we all expressed our outrage, and quite rightly so, in my opinion !
To quote you ; "The 44 cars parked at Festival Hall are now "off the streets" ?
They are not "off the streets" at all ?
All that has happened is 44 lucky motorists have special permission to park in a "Permits Only" place around the Festival Hall and they have taken 44 spaces available to other road users, so they're not "off the streets" at all ? ............ they have taken 44 places from others !
I still do not understand why these 44 motorists have special dispensation ?
What procedure did they go through to be awarded this Permit ?
Furthermore, as parking in the village is such a premium, surely nothing should have been altered around the Festival Hall until the building contractors actually start their work.
Have you a definite date for this building work to start at the Festival Hall ?
If not, why did someone decide to alter the parking regulations around the Festival Hall before any dates were agreed ?
Seems to me this is yet another fiasco, created by Councillors, whether they're Cheshire East or Parish Councillors ?
To quote you again ;
"The village will die ...... or just become a haunt for drinkers who pay no local rates" ?
Many of these "drinkers" are also diners in local restaurants who pay huge sums of money to drink and dine and many of them live locally, paying local Council Taxes, Income Taxes, etc.
They also help to support all these bars and restaurants, otherwise these places would close without their support towards Rates Bills, Payroll Bills, Electricity Bills, Gas Bills, Taxes, etc.
As you said to someone earlier, Frank, think before commenting !
If its a possible then, again hopefully, that will take cars out of the village onto a NEW location.
I believe that employers/traders have said that they would encourage their staff to use the site as it would be (hopefully) free
There is room for at least 100 cars; surely worth trying?
There have been several near misses as two lanes converge into one (on a main "A" road!) and it is about time that serious Police attention was brought to bear to prevent a serious accident.
On what basis were the 44 Parking Permits allocated to these 44 motorists ?
Were they local people ? Were they employees of certain companies ?
Please let us know the reason for their allocation ?
Was there a general memo doing the rounds asking for nominations ?
David Hadfield,
At the risk of being pedantic, would you like me to answer all of your questions?
I am sure I have said this before but you may have missed it. Cheshire East enforced the parking on the Festival Hall site, and their right to enforce came to an end, for building reasons.
Cheshire East had already issued Parking Permits - to anyone who had asked!
When Cheshire East stopped enforcement, they took away the meters, leaving the site available as a freebie.
So, the Hall Manager took control, put up enforcement signs and renewed the permits of those who had them with Cheshire East. I think he is to be commended for doing the job we pay him to do, which is looking after the Hall, and its car park.
Oh, I presume the permits were issued to motorists because they are generally the people who drive cars, and it is a car park.
Perhaps the time for the Council to consider this was when they were looking at the planning issues for the combining of Waitrose and the former Co-operative store. They might have had more success in encouraging Waitrose to undertake such an extension to their development whilst negotiations were still underway.
But still, parking matters are so desperate now, it might be worth considering.
He must also be sick and tired of answering the same questions regarding the parking permits on the Festival Hall by people who read this website on a regular basis, and being slated by anyone who chooses to do so.
I read this website on a regular basis, and often wonder how Frank will reply to the some of the difficult questions asked of him, and without fail he comes up with all the facts and figures in a professional manner.
On a light hearted note, why not have a roof top car park on the church roof, I for one would aspire to that!!!!
Happy days.
However, I also appreciate Sarah and others for contributing on a regular basis. It shows that a number of people care about the local community, aided enormously by Lisa's articles that are the catalyst for these debates.
If you look at these forums and council meetings Kegan uses bullying tactics, misinformation and a political twisting of the truth rarely seen in modern day – take a look at the car park moving to permit holders thread where there is a clear twisting of the facts against his own Chairman no less. I suppose you have never sat in a council meeting when Frank doesn’t get his way!
There is no place for this man in our political system and I will offer him the fist slamming, shouting, and rudeness that he gives to everyone else.
What I find most saddening is the actions of this man are tarnishing a well-run and decent Conservative party and the character of a respected business man (Peter Jones) who from what I can see is being very philanthropic with the new medical centre.
As for the anonymity of the internet, as far as I can see were all using our full names and many attend council meetings.