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May 3rd elections: Iain’s top six priorities
by Lib Dem team on 27 February, 2018
Iain Roberts has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Cheadle and Gatley in the local elections on May 3rd. Iain, who has been a councillor since 2009, said “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far, but there is always more to do.”
Iain’s top priorities are:
- Work to improve the Kingsway junction
- Get the Tatton site redeveloped
- Make the case for a rail station for Cheadle
- Work with the Police to tackle crime
- Fix our roads and pavements
- Support our amazing community volunteers
“As a councillor, I’ll work on hundreds of issues, but these are the ones I will make my highest priorities if I’m re-election on May 3rd,” said Iain.
24 Comments
So unfortunately nothing new. The same old things being reconstituted year after year and nothing done at the end of it. You yourself told us the transport people say nothing can be done about the Junction at Kingsway everytime it is brought up.
The Tatton has gone on so long now it is a Joke and you keep saying we have to wait time after time.
Seems to me their are no new ideas from the Councillors and things only get done when the Public have ideas.
Hi Arthur,
Happy to address those points.
I never say nothing can be done about the Kingsway. What I *do* say is that it’s a difficult problem. That’s true, but the Lib Dems have been looking into it and we believe we’ve found a way through. As we’ve reported before, we are putting pressure on Cheshire East and Stockport to come up with not only a solution but also funding if they want to build thousands of new homes (as they are proposing). The mechanism for this is the SEMMMS refresh.
On the Tatton, we have never pretended its easy but good progress has been made.. Thanks to the Lib Dem team, the Council is able to take out a CPO if needed and we finally have an approved planning application. The job isn’t done yet though – we still need to get the site developed, hence it’s on my list.
As councillors we get things done, and of course those things then come off the list!
The only LONG TERM solution to the Kingsway problem is a dive-under for the A34. Construction of this will cause much disruption and may require the purchase/demolition of the properties at the four corners, but, methinks that to be a price worth paying. Besides, who in their right mind would WANT to live next to this pollution portal! ???????
DR C – an underpass is not going to happen as this would entail wholesale road changes around the A34 and I can guarantee now ALL residents around the junction will object.
I am no engineer but the length of the underpass would be around 200 metres so it is no just the corners houses that would be affected.
The council should never have agreed to the Barnes development as it will be.
Along the length of several such roads in Lundun (not least sections of the North Circular Road and Westway) similar properties to those which line/face onto Kingsway have been ‘cleared’ away over the last fifteen years. Not necessarily with a view to widening the roads rather as a matter of public health AND congestion busting (reducing domestic vehicular manoeuvres interfering with the ‘smooth flow’ of the main road).
The resultant green verges are also visually beneficial to the passing travellers!
Iain
What is this solution that you have found?
Hi Bruce,
The issue with the Gatley lights junction comes down to money. Coming up with ways to fix it isn’t a problem – we have several. Securing the tens of millions of pounds to do one of them is the hard bit.
That’s why we’ve been working to link this to the infrastructure improvements needed if we’re to have several thousand new homes in the area.
(Given the Government’s announcement this morning that they’ll taking planning powers away from councils that don’t get enough homes built, and given Cheshire East’s approval for building at Handforth Dean, it seems likely the homes are coming one way or another).
Iain – several – can you provide more detail please?
You can either have more road or less traffic.
More road could be done with an underpass, overpass or similar.
Less traffic could be done by diverting traffic elsewhere (e.g. allowing people to get onto the M60 anti-clockwise at Roscoe’s) or getting more people onto public transport.
Iain
We’ve discussed Kingsway before and you have always said that the solution the public want – right turn filters in both directions – is not acceptable to the
Start again ……..
We’ve discussed Kingsway before and you have always said that the solution the public want – right turn filters in both directions – is not acceptable to the Highways Agency as they believe it would be dangerous.
That view has always defied logic. Perhaps that’s why whilst the Agency has modelled other possible solutions, it has never modelled this one. A really straighforward, practical way forward woudl be for you to press the Agency to do the modelling and prove their case (or otherwise).
Yes, we’ve done that and will continue to do so. We know that it won’t really solve the problem though. Even if it works perfectly, we know that the queues on the A34 will continue to get longer and longer.
What’s holding the station up? Surely it can’t cost much for some concrete? How can a small village like Ashley get a request stop but Its somehow a difficulty for Cheadle? If it proves successful then start adding ticket machines, shelters etc… Linking Altrincham, Stockport & Knutsford will do wonders for business and the road network
Hi Chris, the most basic station costs between £2m and £11m, depending who you ask so it’s significant. Nothing with rail is ever quick, unfortunately!
You have rightly listed the most important items which need addressing, yes it’s frustrating they’ve not been accomplished, but it’s equally important to keep them in the public eye. For once I agree with Dr C about an underpass.. it was one of the proposals when the bypass was originally debated. At the time the cost was an “astronomical “ £250,000. More recently I believe it cost that just to do the left turn lane from Gatley- carpe diem…
Dr C is right, only way i have said this for over 30yrs could have been done by now. Either under or fly over straight run for A34 traffic. every other country in the world does this. But no you then go and build an housing estate on Barnes glad i don’t live on South Park must be a nightmare
I have to agree with DR C since currently Gatley is severed from Cheadle & Stockport. However the longer term solution must also be to cope with the large increase in A34 traffic when Green Belt to the South is destroyed by more housing. That development (not a description but a false name) will also need commercial supplies etc. to the housing!
Many years ago you stood on my doorstep during your campaign and promised me the roads around Gatley – specifically Grasmere – would benefit from the £100 million you gallantly won to fix them. So, we’re now into 2018 with the potholes and the sh*tholes (Tatton) completely and purely preserved in the same condition. Just remind us all again why we should trust you? Many thanks.
Hi CT – I did promise that, and it’s a promise I’m keeping. We introduced a nine year programme to fix the bad roads and pavements across Stockport. It’s currently in year 4. Cheadle and Gatley will be getting our pavements done next year and we’re also pressing the council for some of the worst roads to be done too.
While other councils are seeing their roads get worse and worse, Stockport is one of the few investing to improve ours. It can’t all be done at once – I wish it could – but the programme is well underway and our promises are being kept.
You state you have found a solution to Kingsway, why could this not have been found when lib Dems had majority on council for so long , sorry but this is fake news point scoring facing local elections just like the reputed claims over you involvement in abbey park cafe I see m Robinson turned up , !!!!!!
Hi John,
On Kingsway, the reason is simple: the money needed to solve the problem isn’t money that the council has. It’s about building the case to get tens of millions invested, not simply being in charge of the council and making a decision.
With the Abney cafe, I can’t speak for who turned up to the photo opportunity, but I can confirm that I did what I said I did.
Absolutely Chris!
What is the latest state of negotiations on the proposal for a station stop at Cheadle? Given that the active railway line is there already, this really is a ‘no brainer’ to reduce traffic congestion and facilitate fast transit in both directions.
It’s ten years since this line started carrying passengers again and we still seem to be no nearer in being able to use it!
Hi JB, I met with council officers just a few weeks ago and they’ve agreed to help us make the case for the station to go on a (short) list of new stations being proposed by Transport for Greater Manchester.
The problem with the A34 junction lies squarely with a poorly thought out motorway network. When it was conceived, in the late 60’s early 70’s there was less traffic and consequently less congestion. The M60 ramps do not now meet the required demand and as housing and businesses have expanded and further developed the road no longer provides the appropriate access.
Junctions 2 & 3 do not allow traffic to exit in both directions. An off-ramp clockwise at J2 would relieve much of the problem at J3. And the same could be said of a exit from the existing slip leading north when exiting the M60 anti-clockwise at J3. What is badly needed in my view is an on-ramp both ways for those travelling from Didsbury and Burnage. This leads to traffic going left thro Cheadle to J2 or right to Sharston, both leading to congestion and pollution in the Ward.
All of these solutions would also solve the problems with U turners at the A34 junction and also rat runners in South Park.
The other issue of traffic being ‘forced’ to use the A34 junction due to its dual status needs a pragmatic approach regarding feeder roads and streets either side of the A34. Less traffic calming may help disperse traffic along multiple routes thereby reducing queues at the junction. This is about all the LA can address though unilaterally.
I think our representatives must lobby TfGM & parliament to seek funding for wholesale investment into J3 of the M60. It’s out of date.