Graham reports back from Friends of Scholes Park meeting
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Graham reports back from Friends of Scholes Park meeting
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Lib Dem Speed camera campaign moves forward
by Lib Dem team on 25 June, 2021
Thank you to everyone who responded to our article on speed cameras. Most people supported the idea and suggested locations for cameras, with just one or two people suggesting that cracking down on speeding in residential areas was a war on motorists.
We have continued to push forwards in the last week.
We’ve spoken to Police Inspector Rob Hawksley about setting up a Speedwatch group – if this is going to work, the Police need to be working in partnership with the local community.
We’ve asked the Council to look at how we can fix cameras to streetlights – whether the weight of the cameras is likely to be an issue.
And we’ve spoken to councillors in our neighbouring wards: Heald Green and Cheadle Hulme North. We may be able to do more collectively than we can alone.
We’ll report back when we have more information.
21 Comments
How much would this cost? Wouldn’t the money be better spent on something else? At the moment burglary and car thefts are a growing problem in Cheadle and Gatley. I would like to see more funding allocated to police patrols in the area. As for traffic cameras, people just slow down, then speed off as soon as they see them. Speed humps are probably better at reducing vehicle speeds.
Hi John, the costs are fairly low and while burglary and car theft are an issue, so is dangerous driving. We need to tackle all these issues.
There’s no perfect solution to catching the people who drive illegally and dangerously fast. You’re right that speed humps can work well – and we’re using them in some places (e.g. Broadway/High Grove Road will hopefully have speed tables and humps going in).
Speed humps are less useful on main roads, where lorries clank over them and disturb local residents.
I agree with john – we are paying a fortune for insurance as we live in one of the worst areas in Britain for theft/break ins/stolen vehicles
Priorities?
Hi Gary – we work closely with the police to tackle thefts and other crimes – figures have fallen in recent months after some key arrests, which is great news. But it’s also important that people can be safe in our villages. For me, stopping people being injured or killed on our roads, or kids not being able to play outside because parents are too scared of traffic, is absolutely a priority.
Iain
I seem to remember the last survey we were dead against speed humps on High Grove Rd. where did this decision come from? Speed humps disfigure the area and cause pollution, how can you justify them?
Hi Alan,
The council had a consultation a few months ago on improvements to High Grove Road and Broadway, among others, which we reported on here.
Residents of High Grove Road supported speed humps and tables so that’s what we’ve gone with.
I think speed humps causing pollution is a bit of a myth. If you look at the pollution maps, I don’t think anywhere with speed humps has a problem. They discourage rat-running which means fewer cars and less pollution.
I have no recollection of that Iain. But I hope we don’t end up with speed tables on Broadway and speed bumps on High Grove. We’re not the poor relations and there’s a big difference between the 2 both visually and in terms of efficiency
More speed humps are the last thing residents want. Morons will always be morons speed bumps or not. Cost of wear and tear and damage to residents vehicles is significant and uncomfortable driving. Be assured, The Council won’t compensate. Ask residents living on St Anne’s Road!
Hi David – we’re putting in speed humps where residents say they want them, not where they don’t. Speed humps shouldn’t damage vehicles unless people drive over them too fast.
Great work Iain, well done. Let’s crack on with this work please.
An increase in danger, increase in noise and an increase in pollution are all the result of excess speeds. Excess speed is unnecessary and anti social. I am sick and tired of Gatley Road being used as a drag strip.
Please put my name down if volunteers are required.
Have we really got a bad speeding problem both in Gatley and Cheadle? The most dangerous place is Gatley is the junction between Church Road and Gatley Rd, outside of the Farrier, due to the blind corner. I have literally seen dozens of accidents and near misses there over the years. It should have been made safer years ago.
Hi Bryan, Across Cheadle & Gatley, speeding is one of the issues residents contact us about most regularly. You’ve identified one of the key locations, and there are others that people have told us about.
For a long time now I’ve suggested that the Horse and Farrier T junction badly needs a traffic light system, but despite there are many near misses, it is deemed to be not cost worthy until fatalities mount up.
What casualty figures support the speed camera proposal?
A system of traffic lights at the H and F junction would obviously also act as a speed deterrent to traffic travelling to and from Kingsway through that junction along Gatley Road.
Also, what is the suggested speed setting for the cameras? 31mph would ‘net’ many motorists, including a large number of residents!
35+mph? IMO too few travel in that speed range, to warrant the installation.
Driver training needs to be upgraded, too many are short on skill and judgement. But that’s for another day.
Hi David,
You’re right, we’ve not been able to get the improvements for the Horse & Farrier junction that we’d really like – though there have been some (e.g. bringing the white line forward on Church Road and adding a Keep Clear section on Northenden Road).
Looking at the official reports, there have been no crashes at the H&F junction resulting in injuries in the last 5 years. That may not be accurate, but it’s what the Police figures say. Most crashes at the H&F are low speed where no-one is injured. There have been numerous accidents resulting in injuries in other places around Cheadle & Gatley.
The cameras we’re looking at cost around £600 each. Putting traffic lights at the H&F junction would cost around £200,000. That’s why we can do the cameras but haven’t been able to get the funding to improve the Horse & Farrier.
Traffic lights at H & F £200,000????
Who dreams up these figures.
Do the contractors arrive at a figure of say £50.000 and then multiply it by 4 because its a local government job???
Sorry David – these things cost a lot. Much of the costs is the cables that need laying underground to connect everything up: you’ve got to dig up the road to lay them and put everything back. I’ve done cost comparisons in other countries and not yet found anywhere that’s much cheaper.
The pedestrian lights at the Horse and Farrier have been skewed for ages. Turning right out of Old Hall Road onto Gatley Road, it is impossible for a driver to see whether the lights are on red or green. Pedestrians using that crossing beware.
Thank you Iain for this update. Two comments:
Grasmere Road holes and bumps: I see red marks around some of the holes so something seems to be planned, good. But so many other holes and bumps along there have not been marked. I hope that the repairs will not be just a few fill-ins. The whole road on the first bend (coming from St Anns direction) badly needs a full resurface.
Re speed reduction measures in Gatley, my full support so long as us residents are consulted. Traffic lights at the H&F junction are long overdue – a mini roundabout would not work due to the blind nature of turning right from Church Road. Better, make Church Road one direction only, in only from Gatley Road?
The whole attitude to Speed Law seems to be of a recommendation even though they are the laws of the Nation! This attitude supports the ideas of lawbreakers generally – “I will do it if I can get away with it” – not the Nation I was born into. In a practical view exceeding speed laws is not about saving time but about trying to get a car or two ahead in the next queue or around the next parked car or other restriction. Please can we have a stronger positive approach from Authorities and Politicians.
Please can we have more 20MPH signs for Mary Street and especially Lime Grove, Cheadle.
We now have The Chimes apartments almost full with many residents needing extra time to cross Lime Grove.. I suggest that 20MPH should be written on the road as
well as more signs on lampposts
We also have more very young children who are at risk if they run out of their small front gardens.
Many thanks Julia Flynn .
Apparently traffic lights are not the responsibility of the council they are the responsibility of Transport for Greater Manchester:
https://secure.manchester.gov.uk/info/100006/environmental_problems/5362/traffic_lights
I think that the car park in front of the new Tatton co-op is now quite dangerous for motorists, and for pedestrians exiting and wanting to cross the road.