NEW SPEED INDICATOR DEVICE INSTALLED

As reported in our last quarterly Parish Newsletter, the Parish Council have invested in an additional Speed Indicator Device (SID) at a cost of £1,889 as a traffic calming measure on Heyes Lane. This follows complaints from a number of residents and evidence collected from our Community Speedwatch sessions, highlighting this area as a particular problem. 

I am pleased to report that the new SID has now arrived and thanks to Cllr Mike Taylorson who helped me to fit it, the device is now in place and working perfectly. The location has also been chosen to help raise awareness as drivers approach the concealed junction with Davey Lane, where two vehicles were involved in an accident earlier this year.

 

NEW GIVE-WAY MARKINGS INSTALLED

I am pleased to report that new "Give-Way" markings have recently been installed at the junctions of Sutton Road, Eaton Drive & Wilton Crescent. This is following a request I made to Cheshire East Highways over twelve months ago, having witnessed a number of drivers using these junctions as turning-circles and driving as though the road was continuous (i.e. without stopping to look). I hope that the new markings will help to reinforce the right of way and also make this area safer for children who use this as a walking route to Alderley Edge Community Primary School. As always, I would like to thank officers from CE Highways for responding positively to my request.

 

WEST STREET ONE-WAY CLEARS FINAL HURDLE

I am pleased to confirm that this scheme, which is being funded through the Local Area Highways Partnership, has now been signed off and will be implemented once the legal order has been drawn up. This follows a recent traffic survey undertaken during October which found that over a 24-hour period, the average number of vehicles using this junction was as follows:

- 628 vehicles turning off London Road into West Street
- of which 480 were travelling south and 148 travelling north 
- 1,104 vehicles turning onto London Road from West Street
- of which 783 were turning left and 321 turning right

The peak periods of traffic flow past the junction were found to be between 08.45 - 09.44 (1,058 vehicles), 12.00 - 12.59 (1,024 vehicles) and 16.45 - 17.44 (1,135 vehicles). I am pleased that the figures support the proposed direction of the one-way system and I look forward to it bringing about an improvement in pedestrian and driver safety at this location.

COMMUNITY SURGERY - SATURDAY 24TH NOVEMBER

I am pleased to confirm that my next community surgery will take place on Saturday 24th November, starting at 10am. As usual the venue will be Alderley Edge Library and on this occasion I will also be joined by our PCSO, Anna Jenkinson. Do come and join us for a coffee and a chat about any local issues that may be causing you concern.

DISABLED PARKING - CHURCH LANE

I am pleased to report that the line painting team from Cheshire East Highways have today been out and marked the two disabled parking bays on Church Lane. I put this scheme forward over 18 months ago, following a request from the Parochial Church Council which was also supported by the Headteacher at Alderley Edge Primary School. Although the scheme has taken a little longer to implement than I had anticipated, I am pleased that it has now been completed and hope that it will help make the church, the school and the new heritage centre more accessible to all visitors.

TRAINING SESSION FOR LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS GETS UNDERWAY

Earlier today I joined 16 other residents and volunteers at our first training session at Alderley Edge Library. Together, we are hoping to re-open the library on Tuesday afternoons from January. This is in response to Cheshire East Council's decision not to close our library, but to reduce the number of hours when paid staff are available, from 25 hours to 20 hours per week.

Our next training session will take place on Tuesday 20th November and any resident who is interested in helping working with us to keep the library open, is welcome to join us. We will also need to elect a Volunteer Co-ordinator(s) and start to think about any special events we might want to organise on a Tuesday afternoon, such as a book club or local history group.

During the volunteer-led sessions, which are due to start on Tuesday 8th January between 1.30-5.30pm, visitors will also be able to return and borrow books, as well as use the photocopying machine; however, access to the full range of library services (e.g. blue badge applications, using the people's network computers) will not be available initially.

PARISH COUNCILLORS FIT NEW CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

The Parish Council recently ordered replacement lights ready for the annual Christmas Lights Switch-On on 22nd November. What we had not realised, was that the new lights and bulb-holders would arrive separately; therefore the Councillors (ably supported by local residents Sarah Greenwood & Bev Chapman) set to work and managed to fit 2,000 bulbs in around an hour.

The new lights are now in place on the Christmas Trees for this year, as we had been advised by the company who install the trees that the existing lights had reached the end of their life and that no new replacement sets would be provided. We are looking forward to seeing the new lights once they have been turned on and we are confident that they will be a significant upgrade on the previous ones.

NOVEMBER COMMUNITY SPEEDWATCH - CONGLETON ROAD

On Thursday 8th November, I joined our PCSO Anna Jenkinson and local volunteers on Congleton Road (near the junction with Whitebarn Road). This is an area we have targeted previously, as the evidence we have collected suggests that there continues to be a problem with speeding at this location. The results on this occasion were:

19 vehicles were recorded exceeding the speed threshold
11 vehicles were exceeding the threshold, but under 40 mph
8 vehicles were recorded travelling at 40 mph or above
The highest recorded speed was 50 mph, whilst the average speed was 40 mph

The Parish Council has recently placed an order for a new Speed Indicator Device, which we hope will contribute towards helping to make our village safer for all road users. Our next Speedwatch session will be on 6th December and as always, we would welcome any local residents who may be able to help out for an hour a month so that we can run more sessions.

LOVE ALDERLEY GROUP HALLOWEEN HUNT

The #LoveAlderley traders group recently organised a "Halloween Hunt" where children were encouraged to work their way around the village shops searching for letters to uncover a secret phrase. Entry forms could then be left at various "pumpkin locations" to be in with a chance of winning a prize! The draw was recently made and the three winner received prizes donated by Chafes, Margaret Dabbs, Edge Gin, the Bubble Room, Coggles, Daniel, All About Flowers & the Potting Shed. I would like to thank everyone who took part in making this event a success.

Emma Mason (Manager at the Bubble Room) commented “The hunts we have put on this year have proved really popular and we’ve had some really lovely feedback from those who have taken part. I’m lucky to see it from a trader and parent perspective:
from a trader point of view it’s great to see lots of visitors and residents coming into the village and into businesses that they maybe wouldn’t have ventured into before, and from a parent perspective it’s always handy to have a free activity to keep the kids occupied while I run errands and have a nosey in the shops!”

FINAL CALL FOR LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS

Following the decision by Cheshire East Council earlier this year not to close Alderley Edge Library, I have been putting together a group of local volunteers to help keep the library open for an extra half-day. During the summer, Cheshire East Council cut the opening times from 25 hours to 20 hours per week, which means that there are only two occasions (Thursday & Friday) when the library is open in an afternoon. With the help of local volunteers, I am seeking to re-open the library on Tuesday afternoons, between 1.30pm (when the staff currently close up) and 5.00pm.

Cheshire East have now organised two training sessions for potential volunteers. Both training sessions are being held at Alderley Edge Library between 2pm and 4pm; one on Tuesday 13th November and the other on Tuesday 20th November. It is intended that the first session will cover the basics of operating the library, whereas the second session will be more geared towards general customer service and health & safety aspects. If anyone would like to help out with a volunteer-led session once a month and would like to attend the training, please can they let me know (craig.browne@cheshireeast.gov.uk).

Although the library has been saved from closure on this occasion, it is important that this does not simply become a temporary stay of execution, which will be the case if user numbers do not improve.