COMMUNITY SURGERY - SATURDAY 27TH NOVEMBER

I am pleased to remind residents that I will be holding my regular community surgery this Saturday, at Alderley Edge Library between 10am and 11am. Please come along and join me if there are any community issues that you would like to discuss or feel I might be able to help with.

As a further reminder, I would like to announce that my final community surgery of 2021 will be held on Saturday 18th December, also at Alderley Edge Library between 10am and 11am. On that occasion, I hope to be able to share tea, coffee and mince pies with anyone who would care to join me.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

RESIDENTS GIVE BIG THUMBS UP TO 20MPH ZONE

Following a recent consultation by Cheshire East Highways, I am pleased to report that residents have spoken strongly and in large numbers in favour of the introduction of a 20mph zone and associated traffic calming measures in the centre of our village. In total, almost 700 people responded, with more than 500 in support of the proposals.

A report commissioned by Cheshire East Council concludes that "694 responses is a high level of response, particularly given the population of Alderley Edge village in 2011 (the last census) was 4,780. That such a large proportion of residents (73%) indicated their support for the proposals gives a fairly clear mandate to proceed with them, indeed many residents felt that the proposals could go further.

Whilst there is very strong support for the proposals, there is some concern that the proposals may not solve what might be the main issue in the village - that of apparent 'supercar parades' which the village seems to have become a focal point for. The large volume of responses to the survey however, indicates a high level of feeling about the proposals and the issues they are designed to solve."

The main reasons given in support of the proposals included: 

- "people drive too fast around the village and so a 20mph limit and speed bumps are needed"

- "the proposals will benefit the whole community and make it a more pleasant place to live"

- "the proposals will make it safer for everyone, but especially children, pedestrians and cyclists"

The main reasons given in opposition to the proposals included:

- "they are a waste of money to appease a vocal minority"

- "the proposed area is too large and should focus on London Road only"

- "the proposals will have a negative visual impact on the village"

The purpose of the survey was to gather and analyse initial feedback on the proposals and dependent upon the outcome, commence a formal period of consultation on the final proposals. Following the high number of responses in favour of the principle of the scheme, Cheshire East Highways will now proceed to statutory consultation with an indicative timescale as follows:

- drafting of the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and Officer Decision Record (December/January)

- formal consultation on the final proposals (February/March)

- detailed design, including road closure/permit consultation (January/April)

- construction and implementation of the scheme (June/July)

I would like to record my thanks to everyone who responded to the consultation, as well as to officers from Cheshire East Highways and our partners in the emergency services and members of the Multi Agency Action Group for their work in developing the proposals. I'm also grateful to our three schools, Alderley Edge Community Primary, Alderley Edge School for Girls & the Ryleys for their support.

Whilst I am pleased with the consultation response, I am under no illusion that there is a single effective solution to the problem of antisocial driving and some of the alternative options that were suggested by opponents of the proposals will need to remain under consideration (such as additional enforcement by the police, as well as average speed or acoustic cameras); however, these options are resource intensive and lie outside the current remit of Cheshire East Council.

WELCOME REMEDY FOR PARK VISITORS

I am delighted to welcome "Juice Remedy" to our village park, starting from Thursday 11th November. Earlier this year, Cheshire East Council called for expressions of interest from potential providers of a refreshment facility in four parks across the borough (one of which being in Alderley Edge). I can now confirm "Juice Remedy" or "Remedy on the Park" as it will be known, as the winning tender.

This is an initiative that I have been pressing Cheshire East Council to embrace for many months and I am really pleased that it is finally going to become a reality next week. I know from the conversations I have had with residents that this is something that many will want to welcome and look forward to purchasing light refreshments from when they are visiting the park.

"Juicy Remedy" will operate intially on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from a beautifully converted Citroen HY van that will be positioned between the bandstand and children's play area. A range of products will be available including pressed fruit and vegetable juices, along with quality coffee and wellness lattes, as well as delicious and nutritious treats.

Remedy will also be making an appearance at the Christmas Lights Switch On on Saturday 13th November, at South Street Car Park, with a focus on quality, health, wellbeing and sustainability. Remedy will be operated by a local business owner and I would like to wish them every success. I believe this facility will be a very welcome addition to our village park.

CCTV CONTROL ROOM REPORT - QUARTER 2 2021/22

I am pleased to attach our Q2 report from the CCTV Control Room, which shows that a total of 55 incidents were recorded during the period. Some of which led to no further action following an initial review of the system (these incidents might include instances of the team observing apparently suspicious behaviour or monitoring an individual in a state of drunkenness making their way out of the village).

Over the last 18 months, the CCTV team has carried out an upgrade of our surveillance equipment, which now includes full HD and nighttime vision. The team were recently inspected by the Security & Alarms Inspection Board (SSAIB) for the Management and Operation of Public Space CCTV (known in the industry as the "platinum standard" with only a handful of the 400+ councils nationwide holding the mark.

Of the incidents recorded in Alderley Edge over the last quarter, a small number did result in further action being taken and CCTV footage being successfully used to identify the perpetrators, including: a large fight taking place outside one of our licensed premises, after which the CCTV team were requested by police to get face shots of those involved; CCTV picking up an individual about to leave by car, apparently under the influence of alcohol. The team contacted the police who stopped the vehicle and arrested the driver.

The Parish Council continues to fund the provision of CCTV surveillance in conjunction with Cheshire East Council, to protect the safety of our residents, business owners/workers and their property.

COMMUNITY SURGERY - SATURDAY 30TH OCTOBER

I would like to remind residents that I will be holding my regular community surgery this Saturday morning, between 10am and 11am at Alderley Edge Library. Please do come along and join me for a chat if there are any community related issues you would like to discuss.

In line with government restrictions, regrettably I was forced to cancel my face-to-face indoor surgeries during the pandemic; however, in line with the removal of formal restrictions, I have now re-started my surgery on the last Saturday of each month.

I look forward to seeing you this Saturday.

COMMUNITY SPEEDWATCH - A SPEEDING VEHICLE EVERY MINUTE ON WILMSLOW ROAD

On Thursday 14th October, I joined Parish Councillors Bev Chapman and Karen Robinson along with other local volunteers from our Community Speedwatch Team. On this occasion we were stationed on Wilmslow Road between 2pm and 3pm, during which time we recorded no less than 60 vehicles exceeding the speed threshold (in other words, one speeding vehicle per minute).

The detailed results of our session were as follows:

- 45 vehicles were recorded above the speed threshold, but under 40mph

- 14 vehicles were recorded travelling between 40mph and 50mph

- 1 vehicle was recorded travelling over 50mph (52mph)

Of the number of vehicles recorded speeding, 51 were travelling south along Wilmslow Road towards Alderley Edge village, whereas only 9 vehicles were travelling away from the village towards Wilmslow. The results provide further evidence which will help support my proposals for the introduction of traffic calming measures along Wilmslow Road and in the village centre.

Community Speedwatch is a national campaign and our local volunteers provide a valuable service which is backed by Cheshire Police. As always, the more volunteers we have, the more sessions we will be able to run and inevitably these help to make our roads safer for all users. If you would be interested in giving up an hour a month to support our efforts, do please get in touch.

KNUTSFORD ROAD TO CLOSE FOR CARRIAGEWAY REPAIRS

Residents will recall that the funding Cheshire East Council receives from central government for road maintenance was cut by 23% (£4m) this year; unfortunately but understandably, this has had an impact on Cheshire East Highways' repair programme. Nevertheless, I am delighted to announce that Knutsford Road has been added to the programme and that repairs will take place shortly.

Earlier this summer, carriageway patching works were carried out on Macclesfield Road and the results have been a welcome improvement for all road users (motorists, cyclists and pedestrians). The works to Knutsford Road will begin at the junction with Brook Lane (Alderley Edge), continue through Chorley and on until the Bird in Hand at Mobberley.

While most of the planned works fall outside the Alderley Edge Ward Boundary, I am sure that many residents of the village who travel this route regularly will be pleased to hear the news. I hope they will also share my joy that the mini-roundabout at the junction of Brook Lane and Knutsford Road is to be completely resurfaced and re-marked at the same time.

Due to the extent of the planned works, which are proposed for early November, there will be a nine-day rolling road closure of various sections along Knutsford Road. At the time of writing, I am still waiting for confirmation of the exact dates, but will post these to my blog and share them on social media as soon as I am made aware of them.

Whilst the route will be closed to through traffic, engineers from Cheshire East Highways will do their best to enable access to residential properties and businesses at all times.

  

ALDERLEY EDGE LIBRARY - CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Following the relaxation of restrictions, we are once again looking forward to re-starting our Tuesday afternoon sessions at Alderley Edge Library. As a reminder, a group of about 20 volunteers, working under the auspices of the Parish Council, came together in 2018 to help ensure Alderley Edge Library remained open (it had been threatened with closure by the administration then in place at Cheshire East Council).

Clearly, we have not been able to work in the library over the last 18 months due to the pandemic, but we are now looking to start again and hopefully include arts & crafts as well as a reading & poetry club among our activities once more. From Tuesday 5th October, we are hoping to re-open Alderley Edge Library between 1.30pm and 5.30pm with the help of volunteer library assistants.

During these times, residents will be able to borrow or return books, browse the library, use the photocopier, help organise or take part in one of our varied range of activities; however, a handful of our original volunteers have let us know that they will not be able to help out any more and so we are making an appeal for other residents who may have a few hours spare, to come forward.

If you are reasonably active and able to spare a couple of hours once a month on a Tuesday afternoon (there are two slots: 1.30pm to 3.30pm or 3.30pm to 5.30pm) please do get in touch by sending an email to aelibvolunteers@gmail.com. The role is not particularly onerous, but full training will be given and we always work in groups of at least three people, so no one is left on their own at any point.

This is a great opportunity to help support a much needed and much loved service in Alderley Edge.

PLANNING PERMISSION FOR GYPSY & TRAVELLER TRANSIT SITE

At a meeting of Cheshire East Council’s Strategic Planning Board on Wednesday 18th August, permission was granted for a Gypsy & Traveller Transit Site at the former Cledford Farm (Middlewich). In addition to the removal of green belt sites formerly allocated for development, the provision of a Transit Site was a key element of the SADPD (Local Plan Part II) which was approved by Council earlier this year. Local authorities are required to assess the need to accommodate members of the gypsy and traveller community when undertaking a review of housing needs.

Transit sites are permanent sites intended for temporary use by members of the gypsy & traveller community. Each pitch is capable of accommodating two caravans and two cars. The pitches also include electrical hook-ups and a standpipe for drinking water and drainage. If travellers refuse the pitch, as directed, they will have to leave the borough and cannot return for three months. They are also required to pay a daily rental fee for each pitch that they occupy, as well as to use the communal laundry and showering facilities that will be provided on site.

Having a transit site will play an important role in helping to reduce the number of unauthorised encampments in Cheshire East, as it equips the police with powers to direct Travellers to a suitable pitch on a site owned by the local authority. Under current powers available to Cheshire East Council, the process of securing a court order to move traveller encampments on can take between five and seven working days; however the provision of a transit site means that the police will have the powers to direct unauthorised encampments to that site in as little as three hours.

The existence of a transit site allows the police to use the "power to direct" under Section 62 of the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act (1994). Evidence from other authorities that have introduced transit sites suggests that they are very effective in reducing the number of unauthorised encampments; for example, Telford & Wrekin Council had 150 encampments in 2015, but this fell to just 18 following the provision of a transit site in 2017. Similarly, in Halton, unauthorised encampments fell from an annual figure of 83 to just 17 following the introduction of a transit site.

This will be the first time in its history that Cheshire East Council will have had a transit site. It will be good news for residents of the borough who have been beset with localised encampments over recent years, but it will also be good news for traveller communities who will have an officially recognised site at which to pitch up and with access to essential facilities.

BROOK LANE TEMPORARY TRAFFIC LIGHTS SET FOR REMOVAL

Residents will soon see an end to the temporary traffic lights that have been in place on Brook Lane since December 2020. I am pleased to report that Cheshire East Highways will be installing scaffolding next week to secure the remaining boundary wall and fencing; this will address the risk of the wall collapsing onto the footpath, enabling it to be re-opened to pedestrians once more. 

The works, which are expected to take place between Tuesday 31st August and Friday 3rd September, will finally see the removal of the temporary traffic signals. The boundary wall has been the subject of an ownership dispute for several months; however, following the serving of a legal notice by Cheshire East Council (which the owner of the wall did not appeal), Cheshire East Highways are now able to intervene.

The reinstatement of the damaged section of the boundary wall remains the responsibility of the owner.

CLOSURE OF ALDERLEY ROAD FOR LINING WORKS - UPDATED

I am delighted to confirm that lining works will shortly be carried out along the full length of Alderley Road, from Whitehall Bridge Roundabout through to the Kings Arms Roundabout. Many residents have contacted me over recent weeks to express their concern that the road markings on the approach to Whitehall Bridge Roundabout have worn away.

When I attended the opening of the new cycle route in April, I noticed that the road markings on the approach to the roundabout (which is in Alderley Edge Ward) had all but disappeared and I observed the confusion this was causing among drivers who were unaware that the left hand lane is in fact left-turn only. This had led to a number of near misses, which I was able to bring it to the attention of officers whilst we were on-site.

Whilst there is a long term plan to widen the southbound approach to the roundabout and create a third lane (linked to the planning application on the former Royal London site), for the time being Alderley Road will be closed to traffic on Monday 20th September during which all of the road markings will be refreshed. *revised date to co-incide with lining works taking place on Knutsford Road, Alderley Edge*

Residents and businesses directly impacted will receive a letter from Cheshire East Highways, advising them of the timing of the closure and official diversion routes. I would like to take this opportunity to thank officers and engineers from Cheshire East Highways for responding positively to my request for this work to be carried out.

CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL TO CONSULT ON TRAFFIC CALMING PROPOSALS

This week, Cheshire East Council will begin a long-awaited consultation on proposals to cut speed and improve highway safety in the centre of Alderley Edge. The consultation, which will focus on proposals to introduce a 20mph zone and associated traffic calming measures, runs from Friday 20th August until Monday 20th September and is being carried out online.

This is hopefully the penultimate step in a journey which began with a speed assessment that I requested in the autumn of 2019, in response to residents' concerns about speeding vehicles. Following on from this, in the summer of 2020 I carried out a survey of businesses and residents, supported by officers from Cheshire Police, Cheshire East Highways & Cheshire East Anti-social Behaviour Team.

The Multi Agency Action Group (MAAG) comprising representatives from the above (as well as other emergency services) considered feedback from the initial survey and concluded that the proposed 20mph zone and traffic calming represented the most appropriate response to the issues identified. A Public Space Protection Order was also considered, but rejected as a first stage response.

The proposals now drawn up focus on the introduction of a 20mph zone beginning at the following key entry points to the village: Wilmslow Road, Brook Lane, Ryleys Lane, Congleton Road, Mottram Road and Heyes Lane. The zone would be supported by the installation of physical infrastructure in the form of raised tables at the following locations:

- pelican crossing on Wilmslow Road outside Alderley Edge School for Girls

- pelican crossing on London Road by the steps down towards Waitrose

- pelican crossing on London Road by Costa Coffee/The Edit

- pelican crossing on Ryleys Lane by Alderley Edge Community Primary School

Two further raised tables would be introduced. The first of these would be on Ryleys Lane, outside the entrance to The Ryleys School; and the other would be on Congleton Road heading up the hill just after the De Trafford Arms. Red-coloured textured road surfacing would also be introduced just beyond the junction with Beechfield Road and Congleton Road, as well as on the railway bridge on London Road.

Whilst there is no single solution to the issue of speeding vehicles that has plagued Alderley Edge in recent years, I am in agreement with the MAAG that the current set of proposals represent the most viable and effective solution possible with the funds we have available (the implementation would be paid for via s.106 funds that have previously been raised on developments in Alderley Edge and as such, there would be no cost to the taxpayer of Alderley Edge or Cheshire East Borough).

I would encourage as many residents and businesses as possible to complete the short consultation form, which can be found at: surveys.cheshireeast.gov.uk/s/AlderleyEdgeProposed20mphZone/ and I would also like to make a strong personal plea to everyone to support the proposals. I have placed hard copies on the notice board outside Waitrose and in the Park, as well as at the Library. 

COMMUNITY SPEEDWATCH - 43 VEHICLES AN HOUR SPEEDING ON RYLEYS LANE

On Thursday 12th August, I joined Parish Cllr Bev Chapman as well as other local residents and Community Speedwatch volunteers. On this occasion we carried out a one-hour session on Ryleys Lane, between 2pm and 3pm, recording 43 speeding motorists (that's the equivalent of a speeding vehicle every 84 seconds).

The breakdown of the 43 speeding vehicles was as follows:

- number of vehicles travelling above the speed threshold, but below 40mph (33)

- number of vehicles travelling at or above 40mph (10) 

- fastest recorded speed (48mph)

- average speed of all recorded vehicles (38mph)

As the Parish Council has recently invested in a second "speed gun" we are now able to record vehicles travelling in both directions, which will have contributed to a higher number of activations on this occasion. All drivers recorded will receive a letter from the police for a first offence and a home visit from a police officer for a second or subsequent offence.

We are continuously looking for new volunteers to join our team, so if you are willing and able to give up an hour a month to support our efforts to reduce speed in Alderley Edge, do please get in touch.

RELAUNCH OF MY COMMUNITY SURGERIES

Since the onset of the pandemic, it has not been possible for me to hold a face-to-face community surgery indoors. During that time I have of course continued to meet many residents either online or outdoors to discuss local issues with them. In light of the government's decision to move to Phase 4 of the easing of restrictions, I will once again be holding a face-to-face surgery at Alderley Edge Library on Saturday 28th August, between 10am and 11am.

Until recently the number of infections had been falling rapidly, but it is clear that the pandemic is not over. The virus will probably be with us in one form or another for some years to come; however, we cannot place our lives on hold indefinitely and we must find a way to live with it, whilst taking reasonable precautions to protect ourselves and each other. My surgery will therefore be carefully arranged to ensure 1 metre-plus social distancing is observed.

I look forward to welcoming you to the library once more and to hearing about the issues that matter to you, as well as the opportunity to discuss some of the projects I have been working on since we were last able to meet. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday 28th August.

COMMUNITY SPEEDWATCH - WILMSLOW ROAD

Our Community Speedwatch Team recently carried out a session on Wilmslow Road. This was the first session since the Parish Council invested in a second speed detector and enabled us for the first time to have two different groups of volunteers operating together (one recording speed in one direction and the other group in the opposite direction).

In total, we recorded 68 vehicles exceeding the speed threshold, which equates to a speeding vehicle every 53 seconds. The full results were as follows:

- number of vehicles travelling above the threshold but below 40 mph (46)

- number of vehicles travelling at 40 mph or above but below 50 mph (21)

- number of vehicles travelling in excess of 50 mph (1)

- average speed of all recorded vehicles (38 mph)

- highest recorded speed (53 mph)

Details of all speeding vehicles were recorded and have been passed to Cheshire Police. Our local PCSO (Callum Edwards) who joined us for this session has confirmed that all recorded vehicles have been sent a letter in the post. As always, if any resident would like to join our Community Speedwatch Team, please do get in touch. We are looking to arrange some extra sessions, but we do need more help.

SINKHOLE - WEST STREET TO THE PARADE (ALLEYWAY)

As some residents will have perhaps noticed, a sinkhole has appeared on the alleyway leading from West Street to The Parade. Yesterday evening, I placed a temporary traffic cone over the sinkhole in the interests of public safety; however, members of the public should be aware that the surrounding footpath may give way at any time and should avoid the area if possible. 

Having checked with Cheshire East Highways and Land Registry records, ownership of the land appears to rest with Aberdeen Asset Management (now known as Abrdn) as shown in the diagram below. I would like to reassure residents that I have contacted Abrdn to advise them of the situation and have asked them to take appropriate remedial action.

 

MACCLESFIELD ROAD TO CLOSE FOR CARRIAGEWAY REPAIRS

As I recently reported, Macclesfield Road has been included in this year's highways capital programme for Level 2 structural patching (similar works are currently being carried out on Knutsford Road between the junction with Brook Lane and the Parish Boundary with Lindow). 

Repairs to Macclesfield Road have been scheduled over a six-day period, starting on Friday 9th July through until Thursday 15th July. Whilst a road closure will be in place on these days, between the hours of 09.30 and 16.30 access for residents will be retained wherever possible.

Whilst a reduction in funding of £3.9m (21%) from central government this year has meant that the council is able to carry out repairs on fewer roads than we would have wished, I am pleased that an additional investment of £3m by Cheshire East Council has resulted in us being able to prioritise at least two key access points into Alderley Edge.

I would like to express my thanks to engineers from Cheshire East Highways for responding positively to my requests for road repairs and for scheduling Knutsford Road and Macclesfield Road early in the programme of works for this year. Please take care if you are in the area and if you need to travel to Over Alderley or Macclesfield during the planned works, please allow extra time for your journey.

INSPECTOR DISMISSES APPEAL ON HEYES LANE PLANNING APPLICATION

A planning application (19/0684M) to build six properties on land off Heyes Lane has been dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate. Having originally been refused permission at Cheshire East Council's Northern Planning Committee last November on the Chair's casting vote (there were four votes in favour of refusal, four against and four abstentions), the applicant exercised their right of appeal to the inspector. The original grounds for refusal were:

- that insufficient pedestrian access would exist and the proposal would therefore be contrary to saved Policy DC6 of the Macclesfield Borough Local Plan and Policies SE1 and CO1 of the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy; and 

- that the proposed development would result in an overdevelopment of the site which would undermine the visual amenity of the area contrary to Policies SE1 and SD2 of the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy and saved Policy DC41 of the Macclesfield Borough Local Plan.

The inspector did not agree that pedestrian access would be insufficient, or that the proposals would represent over-development; however, he did identify the green verge to the eastern side of Heyes Lane (between Buckhorn Street and The Circuit) as being intrinsic to the character and appearance of the area and that its loss to accommodate the proposed development would be contrary to Policy AE3 of the Alderley Edge Neighbourhood Plan and Policy SD1 of the Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy.

This is the first application to be considered by the Appeal Inspectorate since the Alderley Edge Neighbourhood Plan was overwhelmingly approved by the local community at a referendum on 6th May. The result is both a vindication of the decision made at Northern Planning Committee on 4th November 2020 and of the efforts of the many volunteer residents and Parish Councillors who worked so hard to ensure that the Neighbourhood Plan was in place and approved in time.

KNUTSFORD ROAD TO CLOSE FOR CARRIAGEWAY PATCHING

As I recently reported, Knutsford Road has been included in this year's road maintenance programme and I can now confirm that carriageway patching works will be carried out on Tuesday 22nd & Wednesday 23rd June. A temporary road closure will be in place between 08.00 and 17.00 on both days, although every effort will be made to ensure access to properties and businesses at all times.

Cheshire East Council is investing an additional £3m in highways maintenance this year (including flood mitigation measures); however, a reduction in funding from the Dept for Transport of £3.9m has effectively wiped out the impact of the investment we are making locally and inevitably means that many of the roads we would have wished to repair, will continue to deteriorate.

I am of course delighted that Knutsford Road and Macclesfield Road are both going to benefit from repair works this year. We have also introduced a £4,200 highways budget for each Ward Councillor this year and I will be using my budget to pay for some minor repairs on Eaton Drive and Stevens Street, as well as some new road markings on West Street, Macclesfield Road & Wilmslow Road.

A spokesperson for Cheshire East Highways added "We aim to minimise disruption to local residents and business ownwers whilst we deliver these improvements. We will make every effort to maintain vehicular access to your property or business; however, it is inevitable that some inconvenience will occur and there may be periods of time when point of entry will vary."

COMMUNITY SPEEDWATCH RESULTS - TUESDAY 1ST JUNE

On Tuesday 1st June, Parish Cllr Karen Robinson & I joined local residents and volunteers from our Community Speedwatch Team, to carry out a one-hour session on Brook Lane. Due to the pandemic, this was only our second session of 2021 and with it being half-term week, we had expected this to be one of our quieter sessions; however, we still recorded twenty one vehicles exceeding the speed threshold.

The results of our session in full were:
- total number of vehicles exceeding the speed threshold but under 40 mph (16)

- total number of vehicles exceeding the speed threshold travelling faster than 40 mph (5)

- the highest recorded speed on this occasion was 46 mph

The Parish Council has recently placed an order for some "Community Speedwatch" signs, which we hope will help to enhance recognition of the work our team of volunteers are doing on our behalf, as well as encouraging more drivers to stick within the speed limit. We have also purchased a second speed radar gun, which will enable us to have two teams of volunteers operating at the same time in future.

As always, we continue to look to local residents to support our team of volunteers and if you feel you can spare an hour a month to help out, please do get in touch with me (craig.browne@cheshireeast.gov.uk).

CCTV CONTROL ROOM STATS (QUARTER 4, 2020)

I am pleased to publish the statistics for the CCTV Control Room for the final three months of 2020. Understandably, given the pandemic, the number of activations was slightly lower during Q4 2020 than during the same period for the previous year; however, there were 38 incidents in total during October, November and December 2020.

As a reminder, the Control Room is based at Macclesfield Town Hall and operated by Cheshire East Council (Alderley Edge Parish Council provides funding of £6,000 per annum towards the cost of the service and helping our village to feel more secure). The vast majority of the team's work over the period was in assisting police to search for missing or wanted persons.

The CCTV system was also used to successfully help police track down an individual who had been seen acting suspiciously within the village centre; the individual was apprehended, found to be in possession of a quantity of a controlled drug and taken to Macclesfield Police Station for questioning. Following reports of an individual attempting to withdraw funds from a bank account on behalf of someone else, police were alerted and the CCTV was used to help track down the individual as well as a suspect vehicle nearby. The CCTV was able to identify the registration number, allowing police carry out a vehicle check.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Council Officers at the CCTV Control Room for their diligence over this period as well as members of our local policing team. Not every activation will result in a conviction or even an arrest; however, it is good to have the assurance that the system is in place and operating to protect the security of local residents, businesses and legitimate visitors to our village.

WILMSLOW ROAD SINKHOLE UPDATE

As many residents will have noticed, yesterday afternoon a sinkhole appeared on Wilmslow Road on the section between the Tower Garage & Piccolino's. Safety barriers have been put in place by engineers from Cheshire East Highways who have carried out in initial inspection of the site. Early indications suggest that the sinkhole is the result of a collapsed sewer (which falls under the responsibility of United Utilities).

United Utilities have been informed and are expected on site shortly to carry out a more detailed investigation. Assuming a sewer collapse is confirmed, United Utilities will then bear the responsibility for carrying out any subsequent repair works. In the meantime, I am in regular communication with Cheshire East Highways and will provide an update when there is more information to share.

HIGHWAYS REPAIR PROGRAMME 2021/22 DETAILS PUBLISHED

Cheshire East Council has published details of its highways repair programme for the financial year 2021/22 (for full details, please see https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/highways_and_roads/road-maintenance/road-repair-and-improvement-programme-2021-2022/road-repair-and-improvement-programme-2021-2022.aspx).

Unfortunately, this year sees a 21% reduction (£3.9m) in the level of funding the council receives from the Department for Transport to repair and maintain the road network on its behalf. Whilst the reduction in government funding is disappointing, Cheshire East Council has attempted to make good the shortfall this year by investing £3m from its own capital budget - essentially your Council Tax.

Whilst the added investment from your Council Tax has helped, the table above clearly shows a fall in investment in the highways network this year and this inevitably means that Cheshire East Highways will be able to repair and maintain fewer roads this year than last year. Nevertheless, I have been working hard to ensure that some of our local roads do make it onto this year's list.

Macclesfield Road & Knutsford Road (from the Brook Lane Roundabout to the Ward Boundary) have both scored highly being ranked 23rd and 25th on the list respectively. There is a realistic expectation that repairs will be carried out on both routes and this should be confirmed in about 6 weeks time. London Road (between Heyes Lane and Macclesfield Road) is the next highest, ranked in 55th place.

Roads are assessed across the borough in line with the Dept for Transport's required criteria; however, to assist residents in their understanding, I am publishing the assessment criteria below along with this year's list of assessed roads (ranked in terms of score). In summary however, the criteria are: engineer/local councillor priority; road condition; number of defects per scheme; number of customer service requests (complaints) per scheme; claims per scheme; and scheme location.

ALDERLEY ROAD CYCLEWAY OFFICIALLY OPENS

As Deputy Leader of the Council and Chair of the Highways & Transport Policy Committee, I recently had the pleasure of attending the official opening of the new cycleway on Alderley Road, Wilmslow. This £1m scheme has been largely funded through the Local Enterprise Partnership's Local Growth Fund (£900,000) with a match funding contribution of £100,000 from Cheshire East Council.

The cycleway follows the modern design concept of a "shared space" scheme, without segregation for cyclists and pedestrians; however, four pedestrian/cycling symbols are to be added to the surface of the new route to advise users that it is intended for shared use. I am pleased to confirm that a number of further positive features have been included within the scheme:

- a wild flower verge is being created between the cycleway and the road surface

- a raised table has been introduced as a traffic calming measure at the entrance to Fulshaw Park South

- a new bus shelter has been installed, just after the junction with Fulshaw Park South

- the old bus shelter has been up-cycled as a team "dug out" at Wilmslow Rugby Club

- the bench by Fulshaw Park South has been refurbished using recycled materials

Furthermore, advantage was taken during the closure of Alderley Road to carry out some drainage works that have long since plagued this gateway to Alderley Edge and Wilmslow. Two existing gully connections on the north bound lane were found to have collapsed and these have now been diverted to a combined United Utilities combined drainage system, whilst additional combined drainage kerbs have also been installed at the junction with Fulshaw Park South.

Royal London will also replace a 750mm culvert within the boundary of the land under their ownership and will be renewing all gully connections on the southbound lane, as part of their planning agreement. I have also received confirmation from Cheshire East Highways that the road markings on the southbound approach to the Whitehall Bridge Roundabout will be refreshed over the coming weeks.

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - PARK REFRESHMENT FACILITY

As I previously reported in 2020, Cheshire East Council is seeking expressions of interest for the provision of a mobile refreshment facility in Alderley Edge Park. This is a project that I have been seeking to bring to fruition for several months, following a previous call for tenders last summer. On that occasion, the successful tenderer pulled out as it became clear that they were seeking to provide a permanent facility.

Contracts will be provisionally let from 1st June 2021 and be valid for up to three years. Further details can be found on Cheshire East Council's website https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/leisure,_culture_and_tourism/parks_and_gardens/parks-commercial-opportunities.aspx with a closing date for expressions of interest by 4pm on Friday 7th May.

Interested parties should submit their quotation and further details by email to: parks@ansa.co.uk 

I would like to thank ANSA (Parks Maintenance) for bringing this commercial opportunity forward in line with my request, as I am sure a mobile refreshment facility will be a great addition to the park and is something that will be welcomed by many residents and visitors. I am also pleased that this will also enable the public toilets next to the bowling hut to be re-opened, as part of the contract.

Please could I add that whilst I am very supportive of this opportunity, I will not have any direct involvement in the contracting process and that interested parties should take up any specific queries they may have directly with ANSA. I look forward to welcoming the successful contractor to our village park in the near future.

COMMUNITY SPEEDWATCH GROUP RESTARTS

On Thursday 8th April I was pleased to join Parish Cllrs Bev Chapman, Karen Robinson and local volunteers from our Community Speedwatch Group. This was the first time we have been able to meet since October and it was good to be together again (socially distanced, of course). 

For our first session of 2021 we were positioned at the top of Congleton Road, just short of the junction with Whitebarn Road. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the pandemic, this was one of our quieter sessions and we recorded just 12 vehicles exceeding the speed threshold. The full results were as follows:

10 vehicles speeding but travelling under 40mph

2 vehicles speeding and travelling over 40mph

The average speed of all vehicles was 37.7mph

We will be carrying out our next session in the near future. For the time being, in line with government regulations, we are limited to just six volunteers. As we hopefully continue to follow the roadmap out of the pandemic, we will be purchasing a second speed gun which will enable us to operate with more volunteers split across two groups.

PROPOSED TREE WORKS IN THE PLAYING FIELDS

Visitors to the Playing Fields (Ryleys Lane Park) will no doubt have noticed the appearance of some orange fencing over recent days. This is in preparation for some tree works to be undertaken over the course of the next week or so. The proposed works include:

Tree ref. 1518 (near the children's play area) - all primary branches are exhibiting a fungus known as innonotus hispidus (common name "shaggy bracket") and need to be topped back to a pollard point; however, the main trunk shows no sign of decay from ground level to primary furcation and has been assessed as retainable.

Tree ref. 1519 (near to the boundary with the railway line) - branches to be reduced no more than 3m from branch tips to reduce wind load moving, culminating in a reduction of no more than 20% of existing individual branch crown. Tree to be retained, as branches still have the ability to strengthen fibres around areas of dysfunction.

Tree ref. 1621 (adjacent to fence over the railway bridge) - tree has kretzschmaria deusta fungus (common name "brittle cinder") throughout the base and lower trunk. The extent of decay is believed to extend to the primary branches within the tree canopy; therefore this tree is incapable of being retained and must be felled in the interests of public safety.

I would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding in avoiding the immediate area whilst these works are being carried out. Cheshire East Council is responsible for more than 150,000 trees within highways verges alone (not including those in public parks) and therefore the task of assessing their continued vitality and potential risk to public safety is a particularly challenging one.

HIGHWAYS WORKS ON ALDERLEY ROAD CYCLEWAY PROGRESSING

Work towards the completion of a new cycle way connecting Wilmslow with Alderley Edge is progressing well, with completion due towards the end of April. The £1m scheme is being funded with the help of a £900,000 grant from the Local Growth Fund and a £100,000 match-funding investment from Cheshire East Council.

Alderley Road has recently re-opened to vehicles travelling towards Alderley Edge, as 75% of the new kerbstones have now been installed, whilst footway construction and resurfacing is continuing. This week, a raised carriageway table is expected to be installed close to the junction with Fulshaw Park South, with further lining works on Alderley Road.

The project has also provided the opportunity for some much-needed carriageway resurfacing to be carried out during the period when Station Road and Alderley Road have been closed (thereby saving on legal costs associated with road closures). Carriageway resurfacing has also been carried out close to the Kings Arms Public House.

There have been some minor delays to 12-week build programme, caused partly by the pandemic and partly by bad weather earlier in the year; however, the new route which will connect up with Wilmslow High School and Wilmslow Railway Station is expected to open next month.