PARISH COUNCIL NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2018

The Summer Edition of our Parish Council Newsletter is now being delivered across the village. It is a bumper 12-page edition, covering many different aspects of village life, plus my usual “Your Voice at Cheshire East” update, as well as a map of the village that has been created by the LoveAlderley group, in partnership with the Parish Council. If your copy has not arrived by the end of this weekend, please let me know.

PROPOSED HEYES LANE TRO

For some time, I have been in discussion with Cheshire East Highways regarding a new Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) on Heyes Lane. This TRO, which would be funded jointly between Alderley Edge Parish Council and Cheshire East Highways, would seek to improve traffic calming and reduce vehicle speed on Heyes Lane, through the creation of additional on-street parking bays. I have prepared a short online survey, in order to gain feedback on the proposals. Although the survey is open to all residents, I am particularly keen to hear the views of residents from the directly impacted areas of Heyes Lane.

Create your own user feedback survey

SPEEDWATCH RESULTS - BROOK LANE 21ST JUNE

On Thursday afternoon, I joined local community speedwatch volunteers, joined by our PCSO (Anna Jenkinson) on Brook Lane. Between 1-2pm we recorded 32 vehicles exceeding the speed threshold. Although this represents a 20% reduction in the number recorded during our last session at this location, it is still too many.

Hopefully, within the next week or so, our new interactive speed sign will be in place at this location. The results in full were:

22 vehicles travelling between 36-39 mph
10 vehicles travelling at 40 mph or above

The highest recorded speed was 44 mph and the average speed of all recorded vehicles was 38.66 mph (the speed limit at this location is 30 mph).

HEYES LANE CARRIAGEWAY CORING

Please be advised that temporary traffic lights will be in place on Heyes Lane on Monday 25th June, to allow for “carriageway coring”. The work is being carried out by Cheshire East Highways and basically involves drilling small holes through the road surface to inspect the condition of the road bed. The section of Heyes Lane that is due to be affected is from the triangle in front of Grantham’s shop, down to the layby heading out towards “The Hough”. It is the same stretch of road that I have asked to be included in this year’s capital programme for resurfacing.

JUNE COMMUNITY SURGERY

I am pleased to confirm that my monthly community surgery will be held on Saturday 30th June at Alderley Edge Library. Following our very successful "joint surgery" last month, PCSO Anna Jenkinson will once again be joining me from 10.30am until 12.00noon. Do please come along and discuss any community issue with us that may be causing you concern. We are always ready to welcome you with a cup or tea or coffee and biscuits too.

BROWN STREET TO CLOSE FOR TWO WEEKS

Unfortunately, I have to confirm that Brown Street is to be closed from this Saturday, 23rd June for a period of approximately two weeks. This is to enable repair work to be carried out on the sink hole that has appeared at the junction of Brown Street & South Street. Further investigation, firstly by Cheshire East Highways and then by United Utilities, has identified that the sink hole is the result of a collapsed sewer on Brown Street. Sewers are the responsibility of United Utilities, who will be carrying out the repair work. I will provide an update when I have more information.

SPEEDWATCH RESULTS - 7TH JUNE

On Thursday I joined local Community Speedwatch volunteers on Congleton Road, between 10.30 and 11.30am. On this occasion we recorded 31 vehicles over the space of an hour, which is fewer than on the previous occasion at this location, although still too many. The results in detail were:

- 18 vehicles speeding between 36-39 mph
- 12 vehicles speeding between 40-49 mph
- 1 vehcile speeding at 50 mph

The speed limit in this location is 30 mph and we will use the data as part of our evidence base to support traffic calming measures in Alderley Edge. If anyone is able to volunteer an hour a month of their time to help us run more sessions, please leave your contact details below (I will not publish your details, but will respond privately via email).

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight that Community Speedwatch is a nationwide initiative, backed by the police. Whilst offending motorists receive a letter, or a police visit (for a second or subsequent offence), the team are there primarily to raise awareness of speed as an issue.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT REPORT (JUNE)

Contractors are planning to carry out works at the following locations over the next couple of weeks:

BT Openreach (junction of Chapel Road & Trafford Road) - Traffic Signals, 11th June
BT Openreach (junction of Wilmslow Rd & Harden Park) - Traffic Signals, 11th-12th June
North West Network (Lydiat Lane, 10 Congleton Road) - Traffic Signals, 11th-15th June
CE Highways (Brook Lane, ironworks adjustments) - Traffic Signals, 11th June
BT Openreach (Ryleys Lane, replace service cover) - Stop/Go Signals, 11th-12th June

Please take extra care if you are in the area on these dates and allow extra journey time.

WEST STREET ONE-WAY PROPOSALS PUBLISHED

I am pleased to publish the revised proposals for the West Street one-way system. This project is being funded through the Wilmslow Area Highways Group, at a cost of £6,000 and is intended to address pedestrian and vehicle safety at the blind junction of South Street and West Street. CE Highways will be launching a consultation on the proposals in the near future and I expect the scheme to be implemented before the end of the year. The proposals would also see the creation of a left-turn and right-turn lane from West Street onto London Road, to help self-enforce the one-way restriction.

SPEEDING VEHICLE EVERY 90 SECONDS ON BROOK LANE

Yesterday afternoon, I joined Cllr Geoff Hall, Speedwatch Co-ordinator Margaret Bilsborough & PCSO Anna Jenkinson for a Community Speedwatch session on Brook Lane. We had one of our busiest sessions to date and between 1pm and 2pm recorded no fewer than 40 vehicles exceeding the speed threshold of 35mph (the speed limit on Brook Lane is 30mph). That's a speeding vehicle every 90 seconds!

The results in full were:

- 28 vehicles travelling between 36-39 mph
- 12 vehicles travelling over 40 mph
- highest recorded speed 47 mph
- average speed of all vehicles 38.8 mph

The evidence we collected helps to support the Parish Council's recent decision to purchase an Interactive Speed Sign, to be positioned on Brook Lane. Following the disappointing results, PCSO Jenkinson plans to carry out a follow up session with the Truecam (which enables penalty notices to be issued) at this location in the near future.