Permanent 30mph limit on Altrincham Road looks likely

Wilmslow Town Council has received confirmation that the temporary 30mph speed limit on Altrincham Road could become permanent.

The speed limit on a stretch of the A538 was reduced temporarily from 40mph to 30mph in October 2012, for safety reasons whilst a new site access was constructed for the Waters Corporation's headquarters and the road realigned in the area.

However, following requests from local residents, Wilmslow Town Council wrote to Cheshire East Council earlier this year requesting that the temporary 30 zone be made permanent.

Cllr David Topping, Portfolio Holder for Environment responded "Recently a road safety audit was carried out of the alterations to the highway in this location. This indicated that a speed reduction to 30mph would be beneficial in this area. Work to implement this permanent speed limit will commence in the near future and will be subject to statutory procedures regarding consultation and also the Council's formal decision making procedures."

Tags:
Altrincham Road, Cheshire East Council, Speeding, Wilmslow Town Council
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Comments

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

Sheila MacLaren
Tuesday 19th March 2013 at 4:43 pm
Hopefully this will pave the way for a 30 limit on Adlington Road as well.
Tony Hughes
Tuesday 19th March 2013 at 11:08 pm
Excellent idea, I'm all for it. But, and it's a big but, how will it be policed? 99% of drivers take no notice of the present 30mph limit. Hands up who thinks extending it will make a blind bit of difference.
Tony Stamp
Wednesday 20th March 2013 at 9:07 am
Great News. I agree with Tony Hughes how will it be policed? As I also have noted that some drivers exceed the current 30MPH limit. But things have definitely improved

May regular police radar?
Tress Attwell
Thursday 21st March 2013 at 12:01 pm
I agree with Sheila MacLaren, it is time that Adlington Road has a 30mph speed limit. It is the only urban road around Wilmslow not to have the lower speed limit.
Diane Atkinson
Thursday 21st March 2013 at 12:52 pm
The traffice signs are misleading. Driving out of Wilmslow the speed imit is 30mph until just before the Honey Bee where it changes to 50mph. Coming in to Wilmslow it is 50mph until after the roundabout at Waters Mass Spectometry where it changes to 30mph. The stretch of the A538 between the roundabout at Waters Mass Spectometry and just before the Honey Bee has different speed limits depending on which direction you are travelling.
Richard Howard
Saturday 23rd March 2013 at 11:06 pm
What's wrong with leaving it at 40mph?
Richard Minton
Sunday 24th March 2013 at 10:45 am
The 30 MPH speed limit was moved from near Gorsey road further out towards Mobberley road
It has however had the opposite effect to what was wanted by whoever did it, incoming traffic used to slow down as it passed the pub and common and was doing 30 by Gorsey Bank School now traffic doesn't observe the 30 limit because it starts too far out.

Also the roundabout at Waters is fundamentally flawed as I mentioned some weeks ago the camber is all wrong.Outbound it throws the vehicles towards the island. In slippery conditions
I thought someone will hit the island , and guess what ! They have, and hard too, one kerb stone
is smashed and others moved .it takes some energy to do that.

Cheshire east should get that junction designed properly , oh and where has that listed
Building gone (Stamford Lodge)

Cheshire East are a disgrace , they are not looking after our environment !!!
Diane Atkinson
Sunday 31st March 2013 at 12:39 pm
Anyone noticed that a 30mph sign has suddenly appeared just after The Honey Bee coming in to Wilmslow?
Richard Bullock
Sunday 31st March 2013 at 1:43 pm
The comments I said last time this came up on this website are still valid.

The level of development is not sufficient for a 30mph limit - it is contrary to government rules on local speed limit setting. Limits imposed should self enforcing. And the main thing that affects whether a limit is self enforcing is what the road looks like - and it looks far too rural. The government rules are also clear that the start of a 30mph limit is also meant to coincide with where the main built up area begins so that drivers get the message reinforced that it's 30 and a built up area.

Have Cheshire East done a traffic speeds survey on the route (in free flowing conditions)? Have the police been consulted?
Stuart Redgard
Monday 1st April 2013 at 5:08 am
Richard, Can you point me in the direction of the applicable "Government rules". ie a web link or Statutory Instrument number etc.

Diane. I've not seem it as I've been in the USA since 25th March. But I assume this is to enforce the current and temporary 30mph zone due to works at the Waters SIte. This was raised by residents at the last few Wilmslow Town Council Meetings as the signage that was in place was not enforceable.
Richard Bullock
Monday 1st April 2013 at 10:05 am
The latest release is this one: DfT circular 1/2013:
http://bit.ly/YNvxoU

There's no mention anywhere in the text that a 30mph limit is allowable for a rural stretch of road.
There's a guidance note on what the definition of minimum levels of development are for a village here too: http://bit.ly/1278uFf

Some relevant snippits from this text:
"speed limits should, therefore, be evidence-led and self-explaining, and seek to reinforce people's assessment of what is a safe speed to travel and encourage self-compliance"

"or if it [the speed limit] is set unrealistically low for the particular road function and
condition, it may be ineffective and drivers may not comply with the speed limit"

"Before introducing or changing a local speed limit, traffic authorities will wish to satisfy themselves that the expected benefits exceed the costs."

"Speed limits should not be used to attempt to solve the problem of isolated hazards, for example a single road junction or reduced forward visibility such as at a bend"

"Roads suitable for a 40 mph limit are ... or those on the outskirts of urban areas where there is little development"

There is also a speed limit assessment tool for councils to use (which requires a traffic speeds survey etc.)
Rob Sawyer
Monday 1st April 2013 at 8:32 pm
TcFrom a safety perspective the switching off off street lights on Altrincham Road from the Waters site to the roundabout after the Holiday Inn is hard to understand. It is a busy stretch that will become busier when Waters opens its doors, there is a shared-use walking/cycling path that runs right next to the road down the hill past the hotel and there is a bus stop/layby which narrows the path.
I have flagged this up with a local Councillor.
Diane Atkinson
Sunday 28th April 2013 at 2:52 pm
Anyone noticed that the 30mph sign after The Honey Bee coming in to Wilmslow which appeared after my comment, has now mysteriously disappeared? So driving into Wilmslow the speed limit is 50mph up to the roundabout. Come on Council - how can you call this a speed limit trial when you can't keep up the signage?