Dear Wilmslow,
Parking issues at The Carrs during sunny, summer weekends have been an ongoing concern for the Wilmslow community. While some believe the council is indifferent, I assure you that we are actively working to find solutions.
For the past two summers, councillors have placed traffic cones on Cliff Road and engaged with drivers, sometimes facing abuse, but generally seeing positive results. Signs prohibiting pavement parking were installed at Wilmslow Town Council's (WTC) request. However, these were vandalised and ignored. Despite our repeated petitions, Cheshire East Highways (CEH) and the Police acknowledge the issue, but lack resources to prioritise enforcement.
After 18 months of efforts, WTC has secured permission to install bolt-down bollards on Cliff Road, with funding approved by WTC at the most recent Town Council meeting. While not a perfect solution, it is a step forward.
Another concern is the instances of large gatherings at The Carrs, and the impact on parking, access, and facilities. While we welcome visitors, we expect everyone to respect the park.
Cheshire East Council have a process to enable groups to hold organised events, and in these cases additional resources can be planned to mitigate the impact on their parks and disruption to residents. However, in some cases the gatherings are informal and lack a specific organiser, therefore, this results in illegal parking and the parks being overwhelmed with rubbish.
At this time of year, in Wilmslow, we are often visited by a wider community celebrating Nowruz. I personally think that it is something to be proud of, that people wish to visit Wilmslow to celebrate their important festivals – and of course Wilmslow would expect and hope that they treat the area with the respect it deserves.
Wilmslow Town Council (WTC) has worked with various agencies to address the impact of the numbers involved for this gathering. A multi-agency meeting was recently held with Cheshire East Council (CEC), emergency services, and local officials. CEC are actively trying to encourage all event organisers to plan future events responsibly. Additionally, PCSO Morris managed to identify an Instagram account holder who may be linked to local Norwuz celebrations and our Mayor has emailed the individual to remind them of the need to respect the Carrs.
Key outcomes include:
Traffic & Parking: CEC Highways will consider traffic cones, and two Traffic Enforcement Officers will be on duty alongside PCSO Morris.
Facilities: CEC will be unable to provide additional toilets or bins due to logistical and safety concerns, the CEC Refuse team are on standby to deal with waste issues as promptly as possible.
BBQ Ban: CEC has confirmed that The Carrs falls under its borough-wide ban and will distribute informational leaflets.
We look forward to a sunny summer, where everyone can enjoy our community spaces respectfully and sustainably.
Best wishes
Cllr. Toby Tritschler
