Cheshire East Council is proposing to reduce the speed limit on a section of Adlington Road and three cul-de-sacs leading off it.
The proposal follows planning permission being granted for a residential development of 204 homes off Adlington Road, which included a condition that the S106 agreement included £10,000 to cover the cost of reducing the speed limit.
The Council is planning to reduce the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph on Adlington Road, from its junction with Macclesfield Road to a point 150 metres east of its junction with Brown's Lane. A 30mph speed limit will also be introduced on Ridgeway, Hollies Lane, and One Oak Lane.
A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said "This proposal for a reduction of the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph on Adlington Road has been identified through developer public consultation, prior to a development proposal being lodged as a planning application. In response to this, and local residents' representations, the Head of Strategic Infrastructure attached a condition to the planning application for £10,000 to fund local traffic management.
"These monies are available through the S106 agreement to fund the Traffic Regulation Order process for the speed limit reduction.
"This road has residential properties along the majority of its length and the proposed development is for an additional 204 properties that will enter and leave the site from a single access on Adlington Road. It is street lit for the full length. There are three unadopted culs-de-sac on the southern side of Adlington Road (Ridgeway, Hollies Lane and One Oak Lane) that will fall within the proposed 30mph limit and will therefore also be subject to 30mph.
"The speed survey data taken on Adlington Road to the south of Wilmslow Park North, close to the River Bollin Bridge, shows that drivers already travel at speeds lower than the current 40 mph speed limit. The speed survey indicated a mean speed of 38.9 mph northbound and 39.3 mph southbound.
"Police collision data statistics over the last 5 year period show one slight injury collision in 2014 within the proposed speed limit section. This was a shunt type collision involving two vehicles. The Ward Members support the proposal and consider that the speed limit is necessary in view of the increase in traffic volume, the additional turning manoeuvres that the new development will create and it may reduce the severity of any future collisions. The Police are fully in support of the proposals.
"In respect of section 122 of the 1984 Act the Authority is seeking to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic by reducing the speed of traffic."
Map:
Green - existing 30mph, red - existing 40mph, yellow - proposed reduction from 40mph to 30mph.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Crash data shows that in 2007 there was a serious incident on the bend close to the entrance to the site. In 2008 there was a serious incident again in almost the identical spot, and another slight accident further down the road involving three vehicles. In 2014 there was an incident involving two vehicles at the junction of Adlington Rd and Wilmslow Park North.
So - is it a dangerous road? If it is a dangerous road which needs its speed limit reducing, how, at the same time, is it being argued that it is safe to put a narrow footpath on the opposite side of the road down to Varden Bridge with no apparent crossing points?
Developers will say anything to get their new houses built and CEC want the cash the government will give for building them.
It's a cosy stitch up but as the bribes originate from Whitehall, not even the FBI can save us from this scandal.
PS - I'd also ask why this costs £10,000? My suspicion is it doesn't but the money left over helps pay couincil pensions and they get nothing if they don't lower the limit.
To state that one slight accident over 5 years justifies this move is clearly ludicrous.
RE the so called speed limit alterations, what was said that there was a survey. When and where? At the Deane Row meeting, someone said it was a dangerous road, and Jones picked this up, as I have read the regulations to do with estate exits, if the limit was left as it is, there would have to be greater visibility, than there is for 30MPH, so guess what it was altered to suit him. Every road in Britain is dangerous, no matter what. It depends on the driver. Also in the regulations, it states that limits are not to be altered to suit the developments sake, to get planning. There never has been a consultation. No wonder that Cheshire East is mentioned in Private Eye, under Rotten Boroughs. There is a notice in the Town Hall, Macclesfield, that says they listen to the individuals. They might listen, but ignore them
I smiled to myself on reading that the average speed on Adlington Road was less than 40mph. What a surprise ! When you look at the positioning of the two speed detectors on Adlington Road and also on Macclesfield Road they have very conveniently been placed at a spot where drivers are breaking to go round the bends. Another example of gathered information being carefully manipulated.
It is impossible for two people to walk abreast along the Adlington Road pavement and dangerous when pushing a pram. What happened to the comment that the pavements needed to be wider if the development were to take place ?
I was an avid reader of the objections to this development made by the many many residents of Dean Row cautioning the Council that so dangerous were the bends and the narrowness of Adlington Road at various points that we feared for the safety of the children who would without doubt, new to this area, want to walk or cycle down to the Varden Bridge entrance to use the Bollin Valley. The pavements needed to be widened but this would narrow the road we said therefore the entrance to the site on to Adlington Road would be unsafe. We were not heeded. It saddens me to say that our words may well come back to haunt those Councillors who voted in favour of this development.
As to the average speed on Adlington Road being recorded at under 40 mph let us say should the local police have the time and were to use a speed gun on a straight stretch of Adlington Road on a regular basis it could well fund another constable or two in no time.
I have read the statement by the spokesperson for the Cheshire East. He or she states that there is only one exit and entry for 204 houses. As I understood on the original application was for a varying number around 200, which varied from plan to plan, that a number of houses were to exit on to Adlington Road, which everyone said would be dangerous. Does the statement of the spokesperson indicate that Cheshire East have listened to people's complaints. If so, marvellous. In the statement it was said that the reduction of the speed was in response from the residents. As Jones's employees know all the regulations, which inhabitants do not, obviously they encouraged people to say the road was dangerous, as all roads are dangerous, as many things are, if one goes around nor being sensible. However, no proper survey, via interviews was done
This could still be considered, but won't be, because Jones/Wilson will lose houses to sell.
So is profit more important than the lives of children? What has become of us as a society? Where is the moral imperative at CEC to do what is right?
They ignore WTC. They ignore Wilmslow Trust. They ignore residents. They are not protecting us at all.
I am genuinely upset.
Terry complains that the new development will increase traffic down Adlington Road, which is a main road that hardly anyone walks down, but his solution is to pump traffic into Browns Lane, which at its best end is little more than a one-and-a-half track road and at its worst end is basically a bridleway not suitable for vehicles and is right next to a children's play park. Browns Lane is well used by walkers, cyclists, etc. Any entrance through Summerfields would be though one of its small cul-de-sacs which are completely unsuitable for high volumes of traffic. So the solution is to take traffic away from a main road and put it into minor roads much more heavily used by pedestrians? Which children is that supposed to be saving?
Complaining about the people exiting from their drives of the 10 new houses directly onto Adlington Road is not a strong argument. There are already a considerable number of houses on Adlington Road that do exactly this, far more than 10, and nobody is claiming this currently causes a massive problem.
I am also mystified why anyone would object to the speed limit being lowered on this road. Even without the new development, it is a road with quite a lot of houses on it and with a number of turn offs and a sharp blind corner at the end. 30mph seems like a completely appropriate speed.
1, Adl. Rd 3ft wide pavement is used by pedestrians, Mums with push chairs, children for school buses, joggers etc. 30mph obviously good.
Vans and cars park part on the pavement, then we have bin collections, bins are left on the pavement. All adds to why we step onto the road because can't at times use the pavement. Seen the dangers happening. People do not always look behind them, I'm afraid. Near misses with push chairs. Frightening.
2, Summerfields - one cul de sac is one at the end for access. A wide road, two pavements, gets you easily to Dean Row and to the A34. Summerields estate isn't busy. Say 100 houses. That's only a small increase to what exists.
3. Browns Lane - in thro the gate to say 10 houses.
People do walk down Adlington Road on a very regular basis as Terry says and it is a route for mini marathons (or some running competitions), parents walking their children to the nursery by the roundabout, joggers, walkers going to the Bollin Valley down Hollies Lane
etc. etc.
Splitting traffic into three entrances but blocking off Browns Lane at the gate at the end of the houses would have protected the residents there from extra traffic but lessened the impact on Adlington Road. Not an ideal solution but worth considering properly. That really is the problem. The whole planning exercise has not been done with due care and again Terry could not be more right when he says any concerns from anyone have been ignored by CEC and Jones Homes.
It's also amazing you would turn a popular public footpath into a road and put it next to a children's playpark just to take 10 houses' cars off Adlington Road which is a main road. This protects pedestrians how?
You all seem to be ignoring the fact that pedestrian and cycle access will be available through Summerfields. There's no school route or route into town where the person wouldn't be better off going that way, and it wouldn't be any longer.
And the cul-de-sacs on Summerfields are wide? I grant there are two footpaths put none are nearly as wide as Adlington Road and all have at least one tight 90 degree bend. Traffic from 100 extra houses going down one of those? If you think that would be good planning policy you're having a laugh.
As to the "popular public footpath" - that is to become a footpath and cycleway - yes right next to a popular children's play area.
"Pedestrian and public access will be available through Summerfields". It would be longer going this way for students going to Wilmslow High, particularly for those students who will live closest to Adlington Road.
Have to agree about the cul de sacs on Summerfields - but then again Macclesfield gave their approval for this design. They also gave their approval for one of the remaining footpaths to run at the back and sides of houses so that it is an area completely cut off, with no lighting and dangerous. Two wrongs do not make a right.
Yes, this is what Sandra and Terry want turned into a road into the new estate and what I'm arguing is nonsensical.