Updated - 5th August
The meeting has been postponed.
Police and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer is holding a public meeting to discuss speeding and anti-social behaviour on the A34 in Wilmslow and Alderley Edge.
The Commissioner has received lots of correspondence from local residents about the issues the community faces, and when he met Dean Row Councillor Frank McCarthy, the issues surrounding the A34 were also mentioned.
The meeting will be held on on Thursday 2nd September from 6.30pm to 8pm at Alderley Edge Festival Hall on Talbot Road with representatives from Cheshire Constabulary, Highways and local elected representatives.
John Dwyer said: "A number of residents have raised concerns about the speeding and anti-social behaviour that is taking place on the A34 between Wilmslow and Alderley Edge. Nobody should have to live with the types of issues the residents are describing and some are concerned that the behaviour will eventually lead to an accident.
"This month, is National Road Victims Month, and it's vitally important that agencies such as the local police, highways and local authorities do all they can to make Cheshire's roads safer.
"I'm conscious that numbers at the meeting will be limited, as we want to ensure we make everyone feel comfortable as the UK continues to emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic, but I'd urge you, if you can't attend the meeting and want to get something off your chest, then please get in touch with me and share your views. The more information and questions I can put to the panel at the meeting, the better the outcome."
You can reserve your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a34-public-meeting-tickets-165257215781
If you'd like to submit a question in advance, please send then to [email protected] with the subject: A34 public meeting.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
I'm not saying there isn't an issue but maybe it's not quite what I'm perceiving from comments on this website and alderleyedge.com
Whilst it may be a Civil matter, Criminals and idiots use this to their own advantage.
Police are severely over-stretched we all know that. I think they do four jobs within the one job.This is Modern Life.
Someone in their Tatton central office shoehorned a mention of Frank McCarthy into the original press release for this event. The PCC is Conservative and Frank is the Conservative candidate for the forthcoming Cheshire East by-election for Dean Row. Presumably, whoever issued the announcement thought it would give Frank some easy credit to sway voters in the election. However, they also showed how little Frank was involved in organising the debate by holding it on the same night of the election, just hours before the polling stations closed.
They also did not realise we had entered the pre-election process as governed by the Local Government Act 1986 (also known as purdah). This forbids using public events for election purposes. Casually adding Frank’s name to the press release meant the event was clearly linked to an election candidate. The purdah rules then excluded Frank AND all the councillors and officers from Cheshire East, Wilmslow, Handforth & Alderley Edge town councils from attending the debate.
Understandably, the election monitoring officer took a very dim view to all this and demanded the event was cancelled. However, the unwarranted inclusion of Frank’s name now means the new date cannot be announced until the morning after the election.
So this cancellation and the extra delay were both completely unnecessary and caused solely by the Conservative’s trying to hoodwink voters. It also once again shows how the Conservatives always put the interests of their party before the people of Wilmslow, who now have to needlessly wait for the opportunity to voice their concerns and where we can discuss the solutions available.
@Martin & Louise: Speeding is purely a police matter. There are no civil powers for the council or anyone else to enforce it.
@Simon Rodriguez - still want the PCC to run Cheshire East? This year, the Conservative government cut £4,000,000 (-23%) of funding to Cheshire East for pot hole repair, which is the only reason why we cannot fill them. Over 66% of your council tax now goes on social care, a solution to which the government has promised but failed to deliver for over a decade now.
@Stuart: I believe there are two problems. 1. Organised car meets at Alderley Edge that greatly inflates the number of cars, spectators and problems. 2. Motorbikes heading up the A34 on their way to ride around and meet up in the Peak District. The organised car meets have been sidelined lately, while the recent wet weather has kept the motorbikes at home, hence your experience. However, a sunny weekend and a mention of a meeting at Alderley Edge on the right car enthusiasts Facebook page and both problems will reoccur. The council can invoke powers for the first issue but cannot do much about the second one. The police also have limited powers on the second issue as the fines are small and are difficult to enforce. Ultimately, it will need a change in the law to really make a difference and for the UK to adopt Australia's 'Hoon' laws that can crush vehicles that persistently break the legal sound levels. Therefore, we need a public debate about what can and cannot be fixed, the timescales and the costs involved, which the PCC has now unnecessarily delayed.
Cllr Mark Goldsmith
Residents of Wilmslow
Cheshire East & Wilmslow Town Council