Parking on both sides of Congleton is going to be banned from next week.
Cheshire East Council has made an Order which will come into effect on Wednesday, 24th September. This will prohibit vehicles from waiting or parking on Congleton Road at all times and on all days.
The restricted areas will be on the East side of the road from a point 10 metres south of its junction with Macclesfield Road for a distance of 110 metres in the southernly direction. Also, on the West side from a point 5 metres south of its junction with Chorley Hall Lane for a distance of 115 metres in the southernly direction.
A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said: "This parking restriction proposal has been identified as a ward priority and relates to problems caused by parking on Congleton Road, Alderley Edge.
"Cars and light vans regularly park along the frontage of the De Trafford Arms and around the junction of London Road and Chorley Hall Lane, particularly on both sides of Congleton Road towards Nether Alderley.
"The issues that have been reported relate to congestion and obstruction caused by these vehicles. Although commuter parking is a particular problem, obstructive parking does occur outside the working day.
"It is therefore necessary, in the interests of highway safety, to introduce a prohibition of waiting restriction on protecting the junction to tackle the problems and keep the area clear of parked vehicles. Double yellow lines will be laid in the next two weeks."
Where will the drivers who have been parking there now leave their vehicles? As the photos above show there were a lot of cars parked on Congleton Road today and on Chorley Hall Lane, whilst other areas like Ryleys Lane and Redesmere Drive are always busy.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
There is obvious need for more parking provision in the village, anyone can see that. My worry is that people will not walk from as far as Heyes Lane if the car park is pushed through there, they will just park all the more stupidly closer to the village.
Spaces were lost in the underground part of the car park by Waitrose as they were leased off and when I have looked there it often seems to be nearly empty in there. Surely there is some way of creating some more spaces - I have seen a multi-storey suggested on this site by someone and also extending the parking at the end of Ryleys lane by sacrificing a SMALL amount of the end of the park which is very lightly used from what I can see.
Some innovative thinking would be helpful rather than just putting a car park where few people will use it and then in time it will no doubt be built on due to underuse. Creative thinking is not my forte but surely with a population like ours, somebody must be able to come up with an innovative solution which will actually work?
OK Congleton Road isn't the best place to park, ( for many reasons )... but from trawling round the few available car parking spots on more occasions than necessary,to get to my bank... I frequently give it up as a bad job then go to Wilmslow instead. ( Not without its own issues here... but again a lot easier to park ). The parking arrangements of the village should be reviewed for everyone's benefit, visitors and residents alike..... But I suspect there's no chance of that occurring, ... So before the yellow paint is glibly daubed once more... what alternative arrangements can be made to help out here ???
Its neither a new or unique problem... but is it any wonder Handforth Dean prospers ? .
I'm just thankful it's being prohibited BEFORE the inevitable nasty accident occurs.
So any provision of parking by the Parish Council that requires either walking or payment will simply be disregarded unless they get CEC to put parking restrictions on all the other free spaces closer to the village.
This is how it has always been and always will be - there is no point in hoping it will change, appealing to the better nature of motorists or trying to negotiate with local businesses - if they do not park in the free spaces, someone else will.
All that happens is that you end up chasing the people who want to park around the village, and that is the answer to Vince's question, the row of cars now parked on Congleton Road are those that were displaced by the recent updating and enforcement of parking restrictions.
Enjoying the ability to say " I told you so" I predicted exactly this when Cheshire County and Macc Borough council voted for decriminalisation - and of course, Cllr Keegan was one who voted for the change - now lots of work has to be done to unravel the mess it created.
I wait with baited breath to see how the PC deal with the Car Park they plan on Heyes Lane. Who was it that said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different outcome ?? :-)))
I'm pleased to report that all that has happened is the cars are still parked opposite each other, but further back towards the top of the hill.
The double yellow lines should start at the 30mph speed signs into the village to really have any effect.
Existing double yellow lines seem to have no effect and I am not confident that the new proposals will address this problem.
I agree with Sarah Lane. I am amazed how far down Brook Lane some cars are parked on particularly "bad days". Soon they could be ending up in the Alderley Golf Club car park!. Being partially affected by bumper to bumper, I am sad to say, I cannot see a ready solution.