Cheshire East Council is urging motorists to park legally and considerately – after seeing a rise in illegal and irresponsible parking during the latest lockdown.
Parking chiefs say the problem is on the rise across the whole borough and not just at 'the usual hotspots' in town centres and at visitor attractions.
Councillor Laura Crane, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for highways and waste, said: "Our highways and parking officers are finding increasing numbers of motorists parked illegally on our roads and streets, preventing the free-flow of traffic along the highway.
"There is also a real concern that access by emergency services vehicles is being inhibited and even prevented – putting people's lives at risk.
"This is not just happening in the usual hotspots, such as town centres and visitor attractions, but increasingly across the whole borough. It is simply unacceptable.
"Inconsiderate and irresponsible parking is causing difficulties for residents, pedestrians, people with disabilities or with prams, and other road users, as well as businesses and our emergency services. Some people have complained of finding their driveways blocked, leaving them unable to get in or out of their own home.
"Lockdown does not mean people have a licence to park illegally or irresponsibly – and I would urge people to stick to the rules, show consideration for others and help our emergency services to do their fantastic and critically important work unhindered."
Cheshire East Council is to carry out a review of parking policies in the coming months as part of its new local transport plan. The issue of motorists parking on pavements is the subject of a review by central government, which could change the way this problem is tackled.
Anyone convicted of parking illegally faces a fine of up to £70. To report illegal parking contact our parking enforcement team on: [email protected] or call 0300 123 5020.
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leaders ........ but no not figured.
Makes for a difficult daily start for socialising and training our puppy for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
Increases the time needed for her to be ready to be placed with a recipient - often a child. (Did you see the Rickshaw Challenge? Sarah cycling and Waffle by her side).
Alternate venues aren’t as suitable. The law of unexpected consequences?
The ornamental planters for the memorial gardens to stop illegal parking there are due to arrive this week. The problem is largely caused by occasional visitors to the Carrs. Fining them or towing them away doesn’t help much because the next day, more new people arrive and the same problem happens. Parking wardens now regularly patrol this area and do issue tickets. But this is acting after the problem has occurred. Therefore, these planters should stop the problem from happening and prevention is always better than a cure.
Other parking problems in the town have considerably reduced this year though. Mainly because office occupancy is around 40% of previous levels with their staff working from home. Footfall in the town centre was down -23% in September vs last year too. Good news for the parking problem, but bad news for the economic sustainability of our retailers and restaurants. Therefore, I hope the Town Council will become more active in helping improve footfall in 2021. I have proposed some ideas for this but unfortunately they were rejected by the Conservative councillors who run the town council. They are slowly coming round to the idea though and I will keep pushing. This week we all agreed to a new Christmas initiative from RoW councillors. More details on it next month though as the implementation timing will depend on the lockdown situation.
With a vaccine now in sight, we are aware that the towns parking problems are likely to return though. Therefore, work is starting on outline plans for a bigger car park on Broadway. This involves the size it should be, planning considerations, highways implications, cost, how to fund it and timescales. We are also liaising with the developers of the proposed hotel above Tesco’s as if this goes ahead they will fund an increase to the car parks size.
Finally, work on the new cycle and walking lane from Wilmslow to Alderley Edge will start in January. We have also just received notice that the Department for Transport will fund a similar scheme linking Wilmslow and Handforth train stations too. Consultation on this plan is likely to go out to residents in the New Year for completion next summer.
So, after 10 years of doing nothing, it has taken your new independent councillors 18 months to get Cheshire East investing in Wilmslow again. Other plans are in the pipeline too and we hope to announce them next year.
Cllr Mark Goldsmith
Residents of Wilmslow
Cheshire East & Wilmslow Town Council
How's about fast tracking blanket planning for more of those delightful green belt properties (plus a few more care homes - forget 'affordable housing' because that phrase means absolutely zilch in this area anyway) to be built in-filling The Carrs [affering lovely views of the Bollin Valley...], the Common (who needs a lake in the middle of Cheshire's version of Milton Keynes) and the whole of the Bog (why not devalue the 14 eco friendly luxury homes now blackmailed out of hapless CEC) and what's left of Morley (just to deprive Greater Manchester from turning it into a mega annex to the new Chinese business enterprise zone) then there won't be anywhere for expanded/additional car parks or little nooks and crannies in which to illegally park, job done and CEC can then concentrate on spending all the extra rates revenue on flood management and imaginative office space conversions into bed sits (with basement swimming pools or community gyms) since they'll be deprived of parking spaces because they can all walk to work.
A big Woof from Lady, Hearing Dog pup in training.