
The parking restrictions on the loading bay outside Tesco Express will be changed from Tuesday, 7th June.
Tesco confirmed to Cheshire East Council in October last year that they no longer required the afternoon slot for loading, from 3pm-7pm, so the changes are finally being implemented.
From next week loading will only be permitted from 7am until 10am. For the rest of the time the 25m long bay will be available for parking, limited to 1 hour between 10am and 7pm, with no return within the hour.
In September last year, Heather Wienholt wrote to Alderley Edge Parish Council and Cheshire East Council on behalf of village traders to request a full review of the parking restrictions in Alderley Edge village. Heather outlined a number of problems which had been identified by village traders as needing attention but the Tesco loading bay was described as the "biggest bug bear of all" for local traders because it provided Tesco with 4 parking spaces for 7 hours a day.
Heather said "To preserve our high street, we need the right parking provision. The amount of unfair parking tickets issued in the Tesco loading bay over these couple of years has been immensely damaging for the independent traders in the village. But customers still need to be aware the loading bay No Parking restriction will still unfortunately apply to the morning slot. Alderley Edge currently does not issue visitors with a warm welcome, instead we issue a parking fine to them!"
Two signs were placed either end of the loading bay, as above, but many local residents hadn't noted the change and as a result parking tickets have regularly been issued on this stretch of the high street since the Tesco store opened on February 5th last year.
From February 2010 until March 2011 387 tickets have been issued to drivers parking in the loading bay which has raised £14,235.00* for Cheshire East Council. The number of tickets being issued has declined significantly over recent months but peaked in both April and July last year when 82 tickets were issued, generating over £3000 each month.
In addition to the changes to the loading bay, changes have been implemented to street parking on Clifton Street. A 25m long parking bay has been introduced on the northern side of Clifton Street, at the London Road end. Parking is limited to 1 hour Monday to Saturday from 9.30am until 5pm, with no return within 2 hours.
* At the time of receiving this information from the Council payment had yet to be received for 5 of the tickets issued in March 2011.
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