Cheshire East Council has given the green light for a trial 'active travel' scheme in Wilmslow, after the initial proposal put forward has been revised.
The scheme will see a 20mph zone, along with traffic calming measures, introduced in the Pownall Park area, to make it safer for cycling and walking.
Initially the Council proposed to close the road, except for cyclists, near the junction of Broad Walk and Carrwood Road, as a temporary measure but this proved controversial.
Councillor Mark Goldsmith confirmed the revised scheme is just being finalised and will go out to public consultation in the next few days.
He said ""The new proposal keeps the 20mph zone but does not involve any road closures. Rather than completely block the road, it will make the school time rat-run a less attractive option. However, it will mean that when the road is quieter at other times of the day, the residents will still be able to use it to access the centre of Wilmslow.".
Eight schemes are being put in place in seven Cheshire East towns on an experimental basis, as a first phase which is designed to improve walking and cycling and improve access to our town centres, areas for employment and schools.
The move followed recent submissions by town and parish councils and local members of more than 500 local ideas as to what measures may work in their towns and villages.
In total three of the initial ideas put forward have been revised, in response to feedback from communities, and a ninth scheme, in Knutsford, has been withdrawn.
Councillor Laura Crane, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for highways and waste, said: "These initial projects are experimental and will be subject to ongoing feedback and discussions with our communities and stakeholders. That is why we sought the views of local residents and councillors and have responded to what they said.
"This engagement will enable us to monitor and refine these measures before anything is considered to be made permanent – so we get schemes that are right for each community.
"These are exciting projects and part of steps taken by this council to encourage more people to get active and cycle and walk more. But they have to be right for each specific location.
"We will continue to work with town and parish councils to develop additional schemes. Our aim is to deliver active travel projects that are right for each town and developed in partnership with each local area and local members."
The first eight active travel schemes, totalling investment of £155,000, are at:
● Crewe town centre – improved access for cycles;
● Coronation Street, Crewe, near Sir William Stanier School – 20mph zone and other traffic calming measures to create a low traffic neighbourhood;
● Congleton town centre – improved access for cycles;
● Macclesfield town centre – improved access for cycles;
● Ivy Road, Macclesfield – traffic calming measures to reduce the volume and speed of through traffic;
● Hawthorn Lane, Wilmslow – 20mph zone and associated traffic calming measures;
● Old Middlewich Road, Sandbach – 20mph zone and parking suspension to provide a dedicated cycle lane;
● Lodge Road, Alsager – through traffic restricted in one direction to create more road space for cyclists and pedestrians.
Measures will also help to reserve capacity on public transport for those who really need it and should help to reduce congestion on some routes to schools. Further schemes will be developed in later phases, following pledged government funding of up to £619,000.
Cllr Crane added: "We know people's travel behaviour has changed during the lockdown and we are determined to lock in the benefits of more people walking and cycling to make our town centres safer, healthier and more welcoming to shoppers and visitors.
"We know ditching the car and taking up daily walking or cycling is good for your health, and good for the environment. Creating a safer environment in our towns will hopefully encourage more people out of their cars and to be more active, for those residents who are able to do so.
"Being successful, with more people walking and cycling as a result of these measures, may attract additional funding from government and we welcome feedback, both positive and negative, on the measures being trialled."
To view details of the active travel measures in place and give feedback, visit:https://cheshireeastactivetravel.commonplace.is/
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
People do want it: read the ACTUAL feedback - many were happy with the 20mph proposal. And more will want it once they've had the chance to see the benefits play out.
1. Traffic calming measures.
If you had ever been in an ambulance with an old lady with a broken bone, you would instantly remove all “sleeping policemen” from all roads.
Put speed cameras in, or a real policeman with a speed gun.
2. The pavements need to be evened out. Walking would be easier for the elderly, those with walkers, those in wheelchairs and, actually, all of us.
Oh..... and cut back all over hanging branches and over bushy hedges... give us our pavements back, please.
So blocking out x-number of vehicles travelling along road-A does not equate to the same x-number of vehicles diverted onto road-B.
Let's say the filter went in during the trial, traffic may divert along Altrincham Road for a period of time but if conditions then get so bad either the area is avoided (by going elsewhere), the journey is made by another mode (walk, cycle, bus), the journey is made at a different time or combined with another journey or the journey does not get made at all. This traffic evaporation is described in Goodwin 1998 with many examples if you are interested in having a read around.
Removing the filter is likely to maintain similar motor vehicle traffic levels through this residential area with a small deduction accounting for those motor drivers who just might be put off by the 20mph limit.
Closing Hawthorn Lane would be bad.
Just my local view. I don’t have time to read reports from 1998.....too busy at work and spending too much time commuting on congested roads.....
Sign the petition here
https://www.change.org/p/cheshire-east-20-s-plenty-for-cheshire-east
But the rat run through remains, and prevents this joining sensibly to the town centre. Hawthorn Lane is not an appropriate through road, and if Pownall Park were built today, it would never be allowed.
Benefits include lower accident rates, better health, less pollution and a better all round environment. Let Google be your friend!
Wilmslow is a perfect town for active transport, being compact and flat, save for the infrastructure encouraging people into cars and discouraging walking and cycling.
Instead of thinking about a few sorry woke souls ( under 900 signatures in 3 months on the petition) think about the economy stupid.
Yes, let’s reduce speed on residential roads and make them safer.
As you’re having trouble understanding, the clue is in the name, residential.
My comment above read that I have no problem with 20 mph within Pownall
residential area. What I do have a problem with is a Cheshire East wide 20mph adoption and road closures as advocated by some above.
You have also missed then that Mayor Khan yesterday cancelled the entire project within his realm because of resident and motorist uproar at the traffic chaos and increase in pollution residential road closures have caused within London boroughs. Similarly Mayor Andy Burnham has had to do a sharpish about turn in Manchester.
Do keep up or pipe down.
I'm sorry that the more radical proposals are not going to be implemented, especially if done as a trial measure. I know that they would have inconvenienced a number of people, but without seeking to try something more radical we preserve the dominance of the car over other road users which I see as out of balance everywhere, not just in Wilmslow.
When Pete's mob were allowed to turn Wilmsow into commuter hell by building (hopefully no longer needed offices on car parks) achitectural monstrosities the end of yet another pleasant small town began.
The reason people drive their little darlings to school is to keep them safe from all the others doing just the same!!!
That says an awful lot more about Jacob Rees Mogg and his ilk than it does about the viability of local traffic schemes which are designed to give equal status to all road users rather than continued domination by motorists.