The Council is working on a new strategy to tackle congestion and improve journey time reliability in the northern part of the borough.
Cheshire East Council is working with Stockport Council and Transport for Greater Manchester to identify solutions to traffic and travel problems experienced by residents - particularly within the A34, A523, and A6 corridors.
The public now have the opportunity to give their views on proposed solutions through a two-phased public consultation beginning today (Wednesday, 14th March).
The three public bodies, together with other stakeholders and partners, are working together to refresh the South East Manchester Multi Modal Strategy (SEMMMS), which was produced in 2001 to outline a 20 year transport plan for the South-East Manchester area.
The two councils, plus TfGM, will build on the original SEMMMS strategy to prioritise new proposals for improving connectivity between the north of the borough into and out of Greater Manchester.
A major feature of the original SEMMMS was the Manchester Airport relief road, which is currently being built, alongside Poynton Relief Road – which is being progressed by Cheshire East Council.
Fresh proposals will seek to address the added pressures on commuter routes as a result of additional housing and population growth and will extend the strategy up to 2040. These proposals will also be incorporated within a new local transport plan for Cheshire East.
Frank Jordan, Cheshire East Council executive director of place, said: "The council is conscious of the day-to-day travel problems experienced by our residents living in the north of the borough.
"We also appreciate that many people travelling into the borough, experience the same problems due chiefly to the volume of traffic generated and the lack of sufficient road capacity and gaps in public transport.
"The original SEMMMS strategy was successful in securing significant government funding to address this key transport issue. Given this success and the emerging plans for additional development across the border in Greater Manchester, the time is now right to review what our future transport priorities should be.
"This consultation is an opportunity for our residents to give us their thoughts and feedback. We hope that as many people as possible will take advantage of this opportunity."
The consultation will be held in two stages – the first is to ensure all of the key issues and options for improvement have been captured.
The consultation begins today (Wednesday 14th March) and a drop-in event will take place at Poynton Civic Hall on 27 March between 3pm and 8pm.
Members of the public can also respond via an online questionnaire.
Comments received after 5pm on 12th April will not be included in the consultation process.
The second stage of the consultation will run in tandem with Stockport Council and will seek views on which schemes should be prioritised.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Why do we need handforth dean turning into another Trafford centre. To cause more chaos and add more traffic to the a34.
Meanwhile Businesses move out of Stockport, which was promised a make over revealing the river again etc. This never happened.
It’s Cheshire east that have created all this mess must have been told to say this to make us trust them more when it’s them that are still causing the problems.
Get the roads sorted first.
Look after your local residents.
Building roads and houses on former rail routes is a mistake. A very serious one.
Finally, public transport should be in place for new hous8ng before the first house is built. This is what happens in the Netherlands.
Thank you for this very timely assessment, Frank. What impresses me most is that it only took a couple of short years of gridlock on the A34, with several months of meticulously orchestrated roadworks on all arterial routes in and out of Wilmslow thrown in, for you to reach this state of consciousness. Please keep up the great work.
What we need is a number of carrot and stick concepts to be applied to the problems in this area. Individuals have to accept that it is not acceptable to jam up roads with their one-occupant cars at peak times anymore. Nicely linked up cycle and walking network to frequent and reliable public transport is possible but some individuals will have to put up with compromises if they wish to continue using their private cars at peak travel times.
The reliability and frequency of privatised bus services in this area is very poor. Often late because of congestion. More infrastructure has to be delivered to make bus corridors more effective.
I believe a light rail on-off road carriageway could compliment the existing Metrolink services along with linking to bus and rail stations in the area or take a different route to the airport rail link. In order to do that CEC and TFGM would have to joint-work and focus on a travel to work region as a route study.
An absolutely perfect assessment of the situation.
I thought exactly the same as I read the story but couldn't have put it into words quite as well as you have.
Runway 2 and the second tunnel came along- massive delays and huge roadworks but still the road was not widened.
Now we have had around two years of further works (and delays) and STILL the road has not been widened to the original dual-carriageway specification! Unbelievable.