LONDON ROAD TRAFFIC CALMING (STAGE 1) REPORT

Following an all-agency meeting at the beginning of July, I am now pleased to be able to share the results of the Stage 1 Feasibility Report with residents. The report follows a traffic assessment I asked to be undertaken in 2019, following concerns from residents about high-performance cars and the manner in which some of these vehicles are being driven.

Automatic Traffic Counters (ATCs) were positioned at three locations on London Road, each for a seven-day period, with the results showing 85th percentile speeds of 25mph outside the former RBS and 23mph at the pelican crossing near the junction with Stevens Street, but 34mph at the third data collection point (by the de Trafford Arms). 37.2% of vehicles were exceeding 30mph at this location.

The report recommends that a 20mph zone should be implemented using signage to both sides of London Road, in addition to painted carriageway treatments to further highlight the start and exit points of the 20mph zone. The diversity of road users through the village (cyclists, emergency vehicles, buses etc) complicates the installation of physical speed control measures.

Speed humps or carriageway narrowing measures were not considered to be practical options; however, the report does recommend that consideration should be given to the introduction of other physical infrastructure such as speed cushions. The report proposes that the limits of the 20mph zone should be from the junction with Ryleys Lane to the junction with Macclesfield Road.

At the all-agency meeting (attended by Cheshire East Highways, Cheshire East Council Anti-Social Behaviour Team, Cheshire Police & Alderley Edge Parish Council) there was broad support for the proposals, but with a modification that the zone should be extended at each end of the village to include Alderley Edge School for Girls and the junction with Beechfield Road (Congleton Road).

A Stage 2 report will now be produced showing detailed design options, which will then be subject to a round of public consultation. This next stage in the process is estimated to take between three to six months. I would like to thank all the agencies for supporting me to make progress with this issue; in the meantime Cheshire Police will continue to monitor driver behaviour in the area.