Heather Wienholt has written to Alderley Edge Parish Council and Rob Cramer, Area Traffic Engineer at Cheshire East Council, on behalf of village traders to request a full review of the parking restrictions in Alderley Edge village.
Explaining how the parking restrictions in Alderley Edge affect local businesses, Heather said "Since the council have taken on regulating the parking in the area the shopkeepers have become very dissatisfied with the current parking restrictions.
"The present parking arrangements have been in place for decades and we feel they no longer reflect the needs of today's businesses and peoples shopping habits within the village.
"Each person who comes to the village and cannot park is a customer lost for one or more of us. Each person who gets a ticket is another customer who will think twice about coming to the village, another customer lost.
"A couple of miles up the road is Handforth Dean where parking is ample and free and without persecution, they will go there instead."
Heather went on to outline a number of problems which had been identified by village traders as needing attention. These include the need for more spaces offering two hours parking, because a one hour waiting limit is felt to not be enough for customers to make the most of the village shops, restaurants and cafes, and separate machines for The Parade and West Street car parks so people are no longer caught out buying a parking ticket for more than 2 hours at The Parade despite the car park having a two hour limit.
The "biggest bug bear of all" though for local traders is the Tesco loading bay, which provides Tesco with 4 parking spaces, for their own use, for 7 hours a day of trading time.
Heather said "Being located next to this bay enables me to see the huge volume of tickets being issued in this bay, mostly in the 3-7 pm slot. As the loading bay is poorly signed this leads to confusion for the motorist, people are unintentionally parking there and therefore receiving fines.
"I can walk out of my door now and see a motorist scratching their head, frowning at the sign and ultimately arguing with the traffic warden while he tries to explain why a ticket has been issued.
"I reckon at least 10 tickets are issued here each day. This is damaging for our trade immensely.
"The new building has an integrated loading bay at the side on Clifton Street and the council passed planning permission for this design to be included. Tesco should be using this loading bay.
"We have been trading since 1950 and had daily deliveries with big trucks at this Clifton Street location, with no complaints ever from the residents. (Yes some of our delivery trucks are the same size as the Tesco delivery trucks). The erection of this building was very disruptive to Clifton Street; there were many, many, many vehicles, noise and dirt for the duration of the build. But a knee jerk reaction to prevent Tesco trucks from passing down Clifton Street to pacify a few stressed residents is not in my opinion good leadership and wise decision making from our council. We are asking for the loading bay to be scrapped, and for Tesco to be allowed to use their integrated loading bay on Clifton Street."
Heather added "Without the shops and businesses on the high street there is no high street, private businesses who are currently being heralded as the saviour of our economy cannot afford to unnecessarily lose customers.
"We employ many people, there are livelihoods at stake, there are currently many pressures on small businesses. This is one that can be easily alleviated by a balanced rethink of the parking arrangements in the village.
"Failure to find the correct balance between the parking needs of residents and the needs of businesses would be letting Alderley Edge down badly. It is the difference between a thriving village economy for every one to enjoy and one of empty shop units and dereliction."
Heather's letter was discussed at last night's Parish Council meeting where the chairman, Councillor Mike Williamson, agreed that "the hours people are allowed to park outside Tesco are completely ridiculous, we need to be pointed in the direction by somebody at Cheshire East about how to get the hours changed."
Councillor Nigel Schofield added "Parking arrangements in the village are earmarked as an item to be discussed once we know where the traffic is moving after the bypass is open and it is essential we hear what the traders have to say."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
"But a knee jerk reaction to prevent Tesco trucks from passing down Clifton Street to pacify a few stressed residents is not in my opinion good leadership and wise decision making from our council"
I actually use the shops in Alderley and Wilmslow more now, as policing the existing restrictions has freed up spaces, so you know when you pop down the town, there's probably doing to be a free of charge space available.
I don't know how you can create more spaces with little or no money in the budget? I would think the entire street could have angled parking when the bypass opens, and this would add more spaces along the main road???
If they were to take up deliveries in Clifton Street they would still take away the same amount of spaces and even stop people who visit your shop and park illegally on the pavement. It is my understanding from some people in the area that most of the cars parked on Clifton Street are not the residents but the shop keepers/ residents of London Road!! Maybe the shop keepers and residents of London road use the festival hall.
Heather where is this loading bay you talk about? I think you will find that the bit you are talking about is part of the shop and can’t be opened up. If your business is suffering maybe you should consider opening up for more than three days a week.
There is plenty of parking in the village for visitors and I am sure will become even quieter after the by pass is built.
Clifton Street and most side streets are around one third retail and two thirds residential and the parking arrangements will hopefully reflect this.
James if you knock on the bakery door any time I can point out the loading bay to you.
Shop keepers are as entitled as residents to park in the village. We pay business rates considerably in excess of resident council tax rates and this entitles us to use the amenitites as every one else does.
opened by a Tesco employee this morning and inside the left hand door the
area is part of the main shop with two steps to access the shop floor level
from the street level. Inside the right hand door is the bin storage area
extending to a depth of the bins behind which is a wall.
Regarding the 'Tesco parking bays', these should certainly be changed, either by becoming normal bays or restrict deliveries up to 9.30am - which is when they all happen anyway. At present, there are never any deliveries taking place in the afternoon period allowed for. The Tesco Express Shop is seen by Tesco as replacing the 'small corner shop' (they forced most of the real ones to close long ago), so why should it be afforded any more privileges in organising its deliveries than all the other shops in the High Street?
The Parking Warden role is desparately in need of review to get the support of local residents and businesses, as I believe they are definitely causing the sort of harm quoted by Heather Wienholt. The Borough took over responsibility for 'on street' parking a few years ago and there was an immediate improvement by reducing cars which regularly parked all day in short stay areas, knowing enforcement was lax. The availability of spaces for short stay parking is now much improved - and the blatant offenders now seem to be those who ignore double yellow lines and zig zag lines.
However, the over zealous and petty minded enforcement regime now in place is doing massive harm. Many of us have seen - or suffered - this approach with examples as quoted by Heather Wienholt. My best example was a car parked in George Street was left after its elderly driver was taken to hospital by emergency ambulance, a note left on her car to explain - but the warden just shrugged his shoulders and issued a ticket!
Some solutions might include:-
1. Agree revised guidelines with the Local authority for the Wardens to operate more sensibly
2 The Parish Council might take over responsibility - thereby dictating policy and taking the income.
3. It should be possible to issue a 'Warning Ticket' for minor over stays of up to 20 minutes. On the basis of 3 strikes and you are out', regular offenders should be fined as normal. The present system can only issue the full 'knock out punch' of a parking fine.
4. Most innovatively - in keeping with the political fashion to re-elect publc service officials such as Chief Constables and Local Authority Managers, how about employing the wardens on a contract that requires renewal by the local community every three years?! I am sure this would lead to the need to find a new face on London Road of our own 'Lovely Rita - Meter Maid'
Perhaps other readers have more solutions?