Should South Street car park be short stay only?

southstreet

Cheshire East Council are looking into the possibly of changing South Street car park to short stay only.

Alderley Edge Parish Council has asked them to consider a move to a maximum of 3 to 4 hour parking to free up spaces so they will turn over more quickly, because at the moment the car park fills up early in the morning with all day parkers.

The possibility of changing the arrangements at South Street car park once the proposed car park at the Heyes Lane allotment site is open was discussed at this week's Parish Council meeting.

However, Cllr Mike Williamson said "The traders are very keen to see a change to South Street now, to make it short term now, but it will push people who are parking all day on to streets like Redesmere and Windermere."

He added "But from the point of view of survival of the businesses we have got to try and create this turnover of spaces in the village."

Cllr Frank Keegan commented "The difficulty is you don't want to create the situation where you free up South Street but actually affect businesses because people who were parking there, and paying their legitimate fee, no longer want to work here and have the hassle of trying to find a parking space every day, so it's not as easy as it sounds but its definitely a possibility."

What do you think about South Street car park? Should it be turned into short stay only?

Share our views via the comment box below.

Tags:
Parking, Parking , South Street Car Park
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Comments

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

Dawn Kelly
Tuesday 10th June 2014 at 2:35 pm
Due to the parking problems I rarely shop or meet friends in the village. Such a shame. If I can find a space, an hour long duration isn't enough. If South St does change to short term then please allow 3 hours not just 1.
Michael Orange
Tuesday 10th June 2014 at 3:15 pm
If short stay is for a few hours only, then fine, but limits of one or even two hours discriminate against the disabled. People with restricted mobility move a good deal more slowly than the able bodied, and may need to unload mobility devices which can be a slow process. An hour for the fit can quickly reduce to a few minutes for the disabled.
Sarah Lane
Tuesday 10th June 2014 at 3:49 pm
I do feel sorry for anyone needing to park for work. Must be a daily headache trying to park and at every turn it seems you are being stopped. I have zero idea what the solution is though.
Brian Davies
Tuesday 10th June 2014 at 5:03 pm
Mick this is not a valid comment because blue badge holders receive 3 hours parking so I do not see the problem.
Frank Keegan
Tuesday 10th June 2014 at 5:51 pm
I think it is a golden opportunity to attract more retail customers to the village - all the potential shoppers who can not do anything in an hour, and therefore give us a miss. The all day parkers who pay at the rate of around £700 per annum, will find much more attractive rates at Heyes Lane, for a slightly longer walk. And, I take the point that it takes longer for disabled shoppers to engage in the shops, but the blue badge spaces are not time constrained. It may be we need more blue badge spaces but that is a different matter.
Jon Williams
Tuesday 10th June 2014 at 7:10 pm
3 or 4 hours seams fine, plenty of time.
Stephen Holding
Tuesday 10th June 2014 at 8:20 pm
How about an extra level added at South Street.
Frank Keegan
Tuesday 10th June 2014 at 9:19 pm
Steve,

We looked at that some years ago - when Spring St was being built in Wilmslow, just to tie down the date. The result was that the 50 spaces would increase to 75, but the cost would far outweigh the benefit of 25 extra spaces. Turning circles involved mean the loss of too many spaces.
Marc Asquith
Tuesday 10th June 2014 at 9:54 pm
This will just drive the all day parking onto the Lakes estate. The residents there should organise and ensure that the PC reflects their opinions....
Frank Keegan
Wednesday 11th June 2014 at 7:04 am
Or the residents of all residential streets should petition the Council to get on and provide adequate off street long stay parking - starting with Heyes Lane.
Michael Orange
Wednesday 11th June 2014 at 2:20 pm
Regarding the disabled when parking, firstly the 3 hour limit applies only to on-street parking. Off-street parking is entirely dependant upon the authority or owner of the park and whatever restrictions they wish to impose at that site. Those restrictions may or may not be limited in time or charge by the same restrictions imposed on non badge holders.

Secondly, not all persons who are limited in their movement qualify for a blue badge. The badge regulations tend to depend on proving inability to cover distance and not the speed at which a person can move.
Judy O'Brien
Wednesday 11th June 2014 at 4:54 pm
Whilst I fully appreciate how difficult it is for staff and business owners to find all day parking in the village (myself included at times) I do feel we desperately need South Street to accommodate consumers without whom we would not have such a lovely village. If customers knew they could comfortably spend 3 or 4 hours parked in Alderley, maybe food shopping, having their hair/nails done, browsing the shops, lunch etc then more people would be encouraged to share all the facilities Alderley has to offer and thus secure the future of the village. As to the parking problem for staff and workers I have no solution to offer, but I do know that without customers we wont need any staff!
Charis Shoesmith
Wednesday 11th June 2014 at 7:48 pm
If short stay parking is introduced there should be residential permits available and exceptions made for residents. It's not just the workers that struggle to park and it's ludicrous that I won't be able to park next to my own house for longer than 3 or 4 hours.
Peter Liddle
Thursday 12th June 2014 at 8:15 pm
I agree with Cllr Williamson that short term parking will push parking into residential areas. A problem already exists at Redesmere and Windermere as he mentioned.

Last week I turned into Redesmere and was met head on by a car traveling towards me as the road had become single lane due to cars parked on both sides.An accident was avoided but I could not reverse into the main road (Ryleys Lane) and the other car and those behind it had to reverse to make way.

This is potentially a serious accident waiting to happen and those in authority should take notice.

My solution is to extend the Ryleys Lane car park in a straight line up to
the junction with London Road as this would involve only a small loss of
the Park which is not much used.
Alan Brough
Thursday 12th June 2014 at 9:58 pm
Frank, what is it that's driving you on to incessantly promote the use of the Heyes Lane Allotments for car parking? We all (including you) know that it's not going to be a long term car park, or even a short term solution, so why the urgency to move it under "control" ?

Can you honestly and publicly declare that you know of no plan to use that land for residential or commercial development?....straight question!
Frank Keegan
Friday 13th June 2014 at 5:59 pm
Alan Brough,

Your gratuitous comments annoyed me, but then a friend told me you were a “harmless wee man”, empowered by the anonymity of the internet.

Have you thought about getting out a bit more, and just looking at some of the problems in the village from other peoples’ perspective?
Sarah Lane
Saturday 14th June 2014 at 6:25 am
So amazingly rude for a councillor.
Martin Dixon
Saturday 14th June 2014 at 11:11 am
Frank

I am shocked by your rudeness. How can you expect people to treat you with respect when you behave like that.
Sarah Lane
Saturday 14th June 2014 at 11:35 am
It is not the first time Councillor Keegan has been rude. I honestly don't know he has the cheek to reply to people in this sneering way. I guess if you share his opinions you will be ok, have a different opinion or challenge him and you get insulted. Show some respect Mr Keegan.
Allan Brown
Saturday 14th June 2014 at 2:27 pm
Councillor Keegan and the councillors on the parish council , whom we parishioners elected democratically ...do not suffer fools gladly.
Frank Keegan
Saturday 14th June 2014 at 8:08 pm
Martin Dixon,

I do wish you would post under your real name.
Philip Clay
Sunday 15th June 2014 at 7:04 am
Frank - if you want to maintain any degree of respect, I suggest you either apologise to Mr Brough or resign.
Jon Williams
Sunday 15th June 2014 at 8:08 am
What is said on this little forum should be taken with a pinch of salt - calm down children
Frank Keegan
Sunday 15th June 2014 at 1:58 pm
Philip Clay,

On an otherwise dull day, thank you for making me laugh out loud.
Sarah Lane
Sunday 15th June 2014 at 2:03 pm
'Calm down children' Oh dear. Guess you are a friend of Councillor K with that classic response.
Jon Williams
Sunday 15th June 2014 at 3:57 pm
No Sarah far too right wing for that !
Fiona Braybrooke
Sunday 15th June 2014 at 5:09 pm
Frank

I believe the Cheshire East Council have a code of conduct that states a member should have 'respect for others'. Mr Clay may have made you laugh but I think he makes a very serious point, which you might be advised to take into consideration.
Martin Dixon
Sunday 15th June 2014 at 9:26 pm
That is a very good point Fiona. For all those not aware of that code of conduct it can be found here http://bit.ly/1lrqHup
It seems pretty clear how they expect their members to conduct themselves. For his comments above, either Frank Keegan has not read this or he feels it does not apply to him.
Alan Brough
Sunday 15th June 2014 at 9:40 pm
Frank Keegan,

I am not surprised by your insult although I am disappointed that it was published on this forum.

But the real issue is your failure to deal with the core questions that seems to have wrong-footed you.

As for the anonymity of the internet - I write under my real name, I have lived in the area for over 50 years and my family has lived in Alderley Edge for many generations.....you would not need to be Inspector Morse to track me down, but if you would like to speak to me directly then I will be happy to make myself available.
Frank Keegan
Monday 16th June 2014 at 6:47 am
Alan Brough,

I will be in touch, very soon.
Sarah Lane
Monday 16th June 2014 at 12:45 pm
Homework for Councillor Keegan... Refresh his awareness of 7a and 8.
Marc Asquith
Monday 16th June 2014 at 5:18 pm
I have a Microsoft Word version of the complaint form in case anyone wishes to pursue a breach of the code of conduct....
Pete Taylor
Tuesday 17th June 2014 at 11:48 am
In the meantime will Frank Keegan post an unreserved apology for his remarkable rudeness here?
Presumably he will not be seeking re-election?
Stewart Pickering
Tuesday 17th June 2014 at 2:19 pm
An interesting discussion .... what was it about? Car parks?
Alan Brough
Tuesday 17th June 2014 at 8:50 pm
Yes Stewart.
Car Parks....... and my offensive, harmless, little manhood that needs to get out more and increase it's efforts to help local society.

Other than fully supporting your business and many others in Alderley Edge (for many years) and being a volunteer helper for a couple of local charities and caring passionately about Alderley Edge and the values that have made it the village / small town it is today, I am not altogether sure what Frank (or his friend) will be able to tell me where I'm going wrong.

No matter, he's told me he'll be in touch "very soon,"
Kirsteen Peel
Wednesday 18th June 2014 at 6:29 am
With regard to the original question regarding car parking, some joined-up thinking is needed rather than pointless promotion of Heyes Lane - if the Festival Hall car park was too far to walk for people working or shopping in the village (which it was - it was always underused as pay and display before spaces were made contract spaces) then it hardly seems likely they will walk considerably further and use a site in Heyes Lane, which will in time no doubt be sold off for a block of apartments (or two!).

Peter Liddle's suggestion of possibly extending car park on the corner of Ryley's Lane seems sensible to me - yes it would reduce the park's size but not to the detriment of the park as a whole and more spaces could be available for all day parking and South Street could then be used as medium term parking for people wishing to shop or eat in the village. Not a complete solution to parking problems, but a positive start.

Regarding some of the other comments on this article, I have for a long time been made uncomfortable by Cllr Keegan's arrogance, as manifested in his comments. He has repeatedly made it clear that only his agenda matters. I am appalled that an elected official sees fit to treat the people who elected him in such a manner.
Pete Taylor
Friday 20th June 2014 at 10:23 am
So; that's no apology from Mr Keegan then?
Alan Brough
Thursday 3rd July 2014 at 10:13 am
For the record.

Despite Frank Keegan promising to be "in touch very soon" I have not heard from him so far.

It may be that he is having trouble getting in touch with me so I have sent my contact details to his email address.