Following confirmation that a new one way system on West Street will be funded by the Wilmslow Area Highways Partnership (which allocates about £22,000 a year to various small scale projects across Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Handforth) money is now available to introduce traffic lights on Chorley Hall Lane, rather than a one-way system.
Councillor Craig Browne had been planning to use S106 funds for the one-way system but as this money is still available he is suggesting the £50,000 be used to install traffic lights at the railway bridge on Chorley Hall Lane to improve safety for pedestrians - particularly those with wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Speaking about the Wilmslow Area Highways Partnership decision to fund the one-way system on West Street, Councillor Browne said "As a consequence of that traffic lights, rather than a one-way system have now been added as a scheme for consideration. It is important to recognise that such a scheme will still need further investment from the highway's budget and that this is not yet guaranteed but it is at least being considered."
The cost of installing traffic lights on Chorley Hall Lane would be about £100,000 so Cheshire East Highways will need to be persuaded to come up with the other £50,000 from the capital budget.
Councillor Browne added "The resident's survey which I ran last year showed that 82% of respondents agreed that the footpath over the railway bridge is dangerous for pedestrians and people with wheelchairs and pushchairs. However, only 62% thought a one-way system was the correct response to that.
"I recognise that a one-way system was not everybody’s preferred solution, but sometimes it is necessary to show that you have thoroughly considered and investigated less popular options."
Councillor Browne now plans to repeat the survey over the coming days but with traffic lights as the proposed solution rather than a one-way system. (Once the survey has been put together we will add a link to it on alderleyedge.com.)
He also confirmed that with the revised proposal, not being a one-way system, it would be mean that the provision of an additional 18 on-street parking spaces would probably not be possible.
What do you think about plans to install traffic lights at the railway bridge on Chorley Hall Lane? Do you think it is necessary to improve safety? Or would you prefer to see it made one-way? Share you views via the comment box below.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Oh, and "stop the presses the 3 potholes close to each other on the road to Macc' just by the Slade Lane junction? Well they were reported to the "crack" Highways team in the second week of January and their solution? Slap a set of traffic lights there for just under 3 months, as my granson would say "epic FAIL" CEC....
To add insult to injury procceding south toward the village and there is a massive trench on the road going over the bridge. Are these Highways engineers for real? They had the equipment and road closure in place all week and they would have actually driven OVER THAT HUGE POTHOLE. Perhaps they are just idiots ?Seriously why are they getting away with this nonsense?
What length of C.H.L. will be virtually one-way due to traffic lights?
Furthermore, THIS MORNING these guys were filling-in potholes just in front of the entrance to Alderley Edge Tennis Club, but yet, literally another 2 yards away, they didn't repair another one ? Why not ? ....... Who is in charge of these workmen ?
The whole subject of POTHOLES in Cheshire is a joke, or at least it would be a joke if it were not so serious ...... wonder how many motorists are claiming for damaged tyres and wheels that have to written off due to the inefficiency of the Cheshire Council Clowns ?
Could someone tell me the name of the Cheshire Councillor who is responsible for Road Maintenance ? ..... Maybe we should all write to him to show our disgust at his useless programme and policies ?
One of six police investigations into CEC Councillors.
I share your (and others) frustration at the parlous condition of local roads. However, whilst CE Council are absolutely hopeless at maintaining our roads in a safe and proper condition, they are ruthlessly efficient at refuting claims for damage.
I speak from bitter experience having spent eight months, fifteen email / letter exchanges and a great deal of time and effort to recover approx. £400 for damage to a wheel caused by a crater on a blind bend in Warford that I had the misfortune to hit at 0530 in the morning.
CE Council outsource claims to a pseudo-legal firm in Leeds who take great delight in tying claimants up in knots with all sorts of obfuscation and nonsense in what is clearly an attempt at putting people off "going the distance" with them.
If you are unlucky enough to experience damage as a result of hitting a pothole make sure you report the pothole and get a reference number for having logged the problem, get photos of the pothole (note if it has white paint around it,) photos of the damage to your vehicle, make an accurate record of exactly where the pothole is (they will dispute it to within yards) and keep receipts for any work done.
They may well inform you that the pothole has not previously been reported or that the inspection timetable under their duty of care to examine roads exempts them. Challenge them on this and if necessary ask to see a record of reported road faults for the area.
They are hard-wired to wear you down in the hope that you will give up before they do.
Just to pick up on a few of your comments, as I again understand and share your frustrations. I regularly report potholes around the village and those of you who follow me on Facebook will be aware that I usually publish the report reference numbers (to pick up on Alan’s point about being able to prove that they have been reported, but left unrepaired).
With respect to the Wilmslow Road/Brook Lane junction, I first reported this around about July 2016, but as it involved a complete resurface rather than a reactive repair, it had to be budgeted and programmed. The work has recently been carried out, but only with the help of “left over” funds saved on other projects elsewhere. Ideally, the officers had hoped to resurface all the way down to the junction of Heyes Lane, but there were insufficient residual funds to enable them to do this. I have pressed for the work will be included in the capital budget for 2018/19, along with Heyes Lane itself, but it will be a few more weeks before we find out one way or the other.
Generally speaking, the officers are very receptive to my requests for support, but they are continually being asked (by the politicians) to carry out their work with reduced funding, so I do understand that they are in a difficult position and mostly, they are trying their best. To that end, I’m pleased to see that the pothole on the railway bridge, heading into the village, has been repaired this morning.
Cllr David Brown left the Highways Portfolio earlier this year and has been replaced by Cllr Don Stockton.
Kind regards,
Craig
Don Stockton lives in Alderley.
Be advised that our new MP and The Party are preparing to chuck untold amounts to make amends for the shame of the total defeat by Independents who were fed up with, frankly, party bullies and crap.
Alderley First showed what could be done when the snoozing electorate was somnambulant. Well done to them.
Incidentally, I have no connection whatsoever with Alderley First.
Alderley First told us how good they were going to be if elected.
They would solve the parking issue, which, if you remember 3 years ago, was the most important thing on the agenda, but yet, here we are three years later, still having exactly the same problems with parking in this village.
Okay, they've probably added a few extra parking places here and there, but overall, very little has been done over the number one item on the agenda.
Plus they keep blaming the original Tory Councillors over the extra cost of the Festival Hall but at least those original councillors got most of the planning done for the Festival Hall.
Apart from Craig Browne, the others are pretty useless, IMHO.
Sorry to weigh-in with some facts in response to your quite extraordinary comment above but, Alderley Edge First quite emphatically DIDNT promise to solve the parking problem - instead they promised to investigate and consult over ALL available options having identified serious flaws and widespread objections to the main plan proposed by the previous PC - that plan was later found to be completely untenable for practical and cost reasons.
As you rightly acknowledge, the new PC has added a decent number of new parking bays within the village and they have identified plans to create more.
I'm not sure if you walk around with your eyes closed but the work done by the PC last year in bringing proper floral displays into the Village, removing unsightly street furniture and regularly bringing together PC members and volunteers to maintain borders in the Park and remove litter is well documented and appreciated (by most)
Alderley Edge Library may well have been closed by now had it not been for the timely intervention and actions of a number of PC members.
We have a Youth Council now that gives a voice to younger members of our community and encourages them to get actively involved in their immediate environment.
I could go on but hopefully even the most cock-eyed pessimist might be persuaded that the PC has been a force for good in Alderley Edge and understand that whilst Craig Browne has been a very visible, productive and influential Councillor, he is supported by a strong and talented team of local people who care about Alderley Edge......FIRST!
In your post above you make an unsustainable attack on our new M.P.
M/S McVey has kept every promise she has made.
She has charged around the constituancy, attending more meetings than you'd expect.
She has been a real breath of fresh air. I for one am most impressed with her.
If you find something you do not like about her work, that is evidentiary, then feel free to report it but otherwise why not behave fairly?
No doubt you will have been able to explain to her exactly what went on.
What makes you think I have found something I don’t like about her work? I did not say, or imply that.
Before shooting from the hip maybe you should read what has actually been written?
your words above include "our new M.P. ... preparing to chuck untold amounts ...".
In the real world that constitutes an attack.
You have no justification whatsoever that M/S McVey has any such intention.
Why not simply say that you got a wee bit carried away and 'shot from the hip'?
It is now, by the way, several years since the last election; you have to move on !
Alan,
you mention borders in the park. Have you visited the park recently and seen how trees and flowering bushes and heathers have been uprooted? To be replaced, at one site, by grass.
Were you consulted on that? No and seemingly neither were any of the regular users of the park to whom I talk. Several men working, several vehicles involved and several days taken; I wonder whether someone can give an account of what this (to me institutional) vandalism cost?
Yes, I walk through the park several times a week and I've seen the work being carried out.
"Alderley Edge in Bloom" have an excellent Facebook page and on it they explain that ANSA, on behalf of Conservative-controlled CE Council, is carrying out work to re-shape borders in the park.
I suppose it's like much of the other re-shaping work being done to local green areas on a much bigger scale by Conservative-controlled CE Council......wouldn't you say?
the phrase 're-shape borders' sounds almost impressive.
What we actually have, as of a few days ago, is:
1. by the old band-stand, a whole raft of mature (and healthy) conifer trees and several heathers have been up-rooted and are to be replaced (I am told) by 3 flower-beds.
2. a little further along that path, a mature (about 20 years old) beech tree and a group of flowering bushes have been up-rooted and that ground is (I am told) to be grassed over.
So we lose a variety of attractive plant life and birds/butterflies etc. lose feeding and shelter.
To me that is vandalism. Perhaps you can respond here by telling us exactly who's idea this was (who please, not some amorphous 'body') and how much it is costing us?
And please don't try to make this park matter something to compare with housing on green belt (that is what your last paragraph is about ?). I can't do much about housing but I had hoped that local people might have been asked if they wanted the park changing.
And whilst I am 'banging on': over the last few years, quite a few trees have been cut down, in the park. Where are the replacement saplings ? I stuck a beech sapling in (its the sole remaining plant in the 'bomb-site' by the old band-stand) and a company donated and planted a flowering cherry.
When I was the Parish Councillor with a remit to keep an eye on the park, I often came onto alderleyedge.com to ask for people's opinion on what I was suggesting might happen in the park.
If I could manage that, why can't others?
I'm afraid you ask too many questions of me.
I am but a mere parishioner (as are you these days) and so I don't have the answers that your insatiable thirst for knowledge demands.
I do share some of your concerns about the dramatic changes being made but I await the finished picture before making final judgement.
I agree (again) that under your stewardship the park was well maintained and I know that you cared (and continue to care) passionately about it - that's very much to your credit.
Having said all of that, I do believe that the park has been improved in the last couple of years with new playground equipment and a long overdue tidying-up of the car park area as well as the addition of some attractive planting in the general borders.
I know that several of the current councillors take a pro-active interest in all things horticultural and arboreal and so I'm sure that they won't let their guard down.
Good luck with the dog poo argument but I fear you are marching to the beat of a different drum from the rest of us.
It relates to our old friend, Duncan, and his remark to Pete Taylor, "It is now, by the way, several years since the last election; you have to move on !"
I couldn't agree more, which is why I was disheartened to read, only a few comments later, that Duncan simply couldn't help himself, and had to add, "When I was the Parish Councillor with a remit to keep an eye on the park, I often came onto alderleyedge.com to ask for people's opinion on what I was suggesting might happen in the park. If I could manage that, why can't others?"!
Make up your mind, Duncan! Either we move on, or we don't. You can't have it both ways! I think that could be described as 'having your cake and eating it'.
Thank you. As you were.
could we perhaps see your suggestions/comments on the matter of the chopping down of the mature trees and the grubbing up pf the bushes, heathers etc.?
Did you know about it in advance and if not, do you think you (and others) should have been consulted/informed?
Are you 'happy' with the removal and do you think that you (and others) should be consulted re. what is to replace the chopped down trees etc.?
Do you not agree that if someone as ordinary as me was able to seek peoples' opinions before doing things in the park, then anyone could do the same nowadays? (and that is not me praising me, but a suggestion that the community could/should be involved re. the park; rather than just leave things to our 'betters').
Pete,
are you implacably opposed to bins? Or just to bins used by dog-owners?
Alan,
if you wait until you can see the finished picture; what can be done if you do not like the finished picture? We can't stick the chopped down trees back in the ground.
Do you not agree that the community should have been consulted befoehand?
Which leads to a somewhat philosophical point: who 'owns' the park? Those who use it regularly? or all the inhabitants of A.E. or 'ansa' or the Parish Council? or just C.E.?
Happy early Easter.