Parish Council provides update on car parking

miketaylorsn

In late 2015 and early 2016, as we promised we would, we completed our review of the village's parking needs, putting forward a number of possible options.

Throughout this exercise it remains important to remember that the creation of a new car park on ANY green space (allotment site, playing field or parkland) is contrary to National Planning Policy - unless that green space can be replicated somewhere else.

In a village which is surrounded by green belt, that is almost impossible for us to achieve - unless or until the Cheshire East Local Plan (completion sometime in 2019) or the Alderley Edge Neighbourhood Plan withdraws the green belt boundary.

Therefore as a Parish Council, we have concentrated, in the meantime on:

Reducing the maximum stay at South Street Car Park to encourage a kicker turnover of spaces; this has worked well with places available on most days.

Getting Ryleys Lane Car Park properly surfaced and marked out for the first time ever and keeping it free of charge to assist 'all day' parking.

Working with local residents and Select Property Group to secure planning permission for a new car park at Horseshoe Farm (taking 50 cars off nearby streets).

Creating around 15 on-street parking spaces in the village, with plans to create a further 14 on-street spaces later this year.

Exploring the possibility of a 44-space car park at Heyes Lane, to support demand for parking at the Festival Hall and Medical Centre - independently costed at £233,000.

Exploring the possibility of creating an extra 34/40 spaces at Ryleys Lane Car Park, costed by Cheshire East Council at £180,000.

As a community we are doing our best to ensure that the infrastructure funds we will need in order to bring some of these parking projects to fruition can be achieved by having a well written Neighbourhood Plan. We are fortunate that Councillor Sarah Greenwood is taking the lead on this.

With a team of volunteer local residents and advisers she is helping to prepare the village for the changing needs future residents, workers and visitors.

Guest post by Councillor Michael Taylorson.

Tags:
Alderley Edge Parish Council, Parking , Parking
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Mark Hillyard
Tuesday 19th February 2019 at 6:40 pm
Speaking for myself but I am sure others I don't want to "redraw the green belt boundary" around the village to facilitate a car park. Despite Cheshire East having already allocated green belt development for the duration of the Plan I have always suspected that the Parish Council wants to offer a developer the chance to develop on further green belt land in return for a car park. The Neighbourhood Plan is meant to provide protection for the Green Belt surely! because that is the village that we want to live in and now the Parish Council want to have the ability to deallocate (at their discretion) green belt !!!!!.... what could go wrong.
Terry Bowes
Tuesday 19th February 2019 at 8:42 pm
The 44 spaces on the Heyes Lane Allotments are for the Festival Hall and the PC. The Doctors have always distanced themselves from this scheme by saying they do not need extra parking for the Medical Centre.
Craig Browne
Tuesday 19th February 2019 at 9:03 pm
Hi Mark,

Thank you for your comments; however, if I may, it appears that you have perhaps overestimated the Parish Council’s powers to act.

To begin, Cheshire East Council have not yet finalised their site allocations for the Local Service Centres (inc. Alderley Edge); also, Parish Councils have no authority to allocate sites for development which lie within the green belt.

The only ways in which land can be removed from the green belt are through Cheshire East’s Local Plan (Part 2 - the SADPD), or through a resident-led Neighbourhood Plan. The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group has considered (but rejected) the option of making site allocations.

The challenge for us all (Parish Council, Neighbourhood Plan Team, Community Groups & Residents) is to ensure that where the SADPD allocates land, it comes with the necessary infrastructure, in the form of amenity space, car parking etc.

In order to achieve this, we all need to be in agreement about the process which has to be followed. I hope this helps to explain how that process works.

Kind regards,
Craig