Stockport Council News

http://t.co/VkDCIK8cIL

“What Knutsfordians need now is another set of knights to wake up and save Knutsford from Tatton Park.

Speaking against the BeWILDerwood proposals to Cheshire East’s strategic planning meeting, Tory town councillor Mike Houghton said: “The supposed economic benefits to Tatton are very much to the disadvantage of Knutsford. BeWILDerwood restricts Knutsford’s freedom of movement, economy, health and wellbeing.”

BeWILDerwood will ‘cost’ the Cheshire East taxpayer upwards of £6.75 million, What will Knutsford get in return? Nothing.

What have our three Tory councillors done to protect our town? Nothing. Indeed Olivia Hunter went out of her way to speak in favour of the development.

Mobberley Clr Jamie Macrae spoke in favour of the development, Clrs Steve Wilkinson and George Walton arranged for substitutes to attend strategic planning.

Nobody wanted the BeWILDerwood development in Tatton Park bar Tory councillors. Why were the views of Knutsfordians ignored by Cheshire East Council?

What else is planned for Tatton Park which will further harm Knutsford’s freedom of movement, economy, health and wellbeing?

– PS Knutsford Town Council has decreased the precept for 2014/15 even though Knutsfordians will be paying some 40 per cent more than we did in 2013/14.

The Knutsfordian can be found banging his head against a brick wall.”

http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/blogs/roads/210314-manchester-strategic-road-by-stealth

Kim Barrett of campaign group PAULA, which is opposed to the SEMMMS A6-Manchester Airport Relief Road (A6-MARR), says:

“The plan to push a polluting, traffic-generating dual carriageway through our area, in order to facilitate massive expansion at Manchester Airport, is just one of many schemes, the impact of which must be considered together. Rather than having to fight each one in turn, far better would be a debate on whether local people want to see their area transformed by an ever-growing road network, or would prefer the money to be spent on improved cycling provision and public transport.”[6]

Councillor Paul Crompton, Chairman of Somerford Parish Council, which would be impacted severely by the Congleton Link Road, says:

“No-one has put forward a case for this new strategic road and it wider implications are not understood. What we do know is that as local people affected by these plans we feel overwhelmed and ignored.”

But there are no changes to the A6 to Aiport Roadscheme!

Dear Mrs Oliver,

I am writing in response to your request for information (ref FOI 8499).

The relevant Council Service(s) has searched for the requested information and our response is as follows.

1.What is the rationale behind and likely cost of the roundabout/road alluded to by Councillor Michael Jones of Cheshire East in a recent newsletter –

http://www.alderleyedge.com/news/article/9516/council-leader-defends-plans-for-new-village-at-handforth?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter539

“We are also looking to put a new roundabout in (top right of the site) and a road which will provide access onto the SEMMMS, which we are agreeing with Stockport Council. That will take pressure off the A34.”

Stockport Council does not hold the information you have requested regarding the potential cost of the scheme .

Stockport Council and Cheshire East Council have agreed a Duty To Co-Operate Memorandum of Understanding between Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council and Cheshire East Borough Council which refers to future work regarding a potential junction

http://www.stockport.gov.uk/2013/2994/developmentcontrol/planningpolicy/dutytocooperate

2. Have you informed the Department for Transport of these material changes and do they comply with the DfT stipulations quoted below?

“Ministers reserve the right to reconsider their decision on funding if there are any changes to the overall cost, scope or design of the scheme which they consider to be material, particularly where such changes would alter the value for money of the scheme. You must notify the Department immediately of any such material changes, and provide on request any appropriate evidence to determine the impact of the changes on the scheme’s value for money.”

There are no material changes to the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road Scheme.

Yours sincerely

Simon Oldfield
FOI Officer
Stockport Council

20 March 2014 13:48

Dear Mrs Oliver,

Thank you for your request for information regarding “a link road to the Airport link road and a roundabout”. We believe you are referring to the Poynton Relief Road which is a proposed 3km relief road linking the A523 to the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road (A6MARR) with a connection at the proposed Chester Road/ Bramhall Oil Terminal junction currently subject to a planning application.

Poynton Relief Road (PRR) is one of the three highway schemes that make up the proposals originally recommended as part of SEMMMS. Two further schemes are at planning or in development, including the A6MARR and the A6 to M60 Link Road.

The objectives of PRR are to support the economic, physical and social regeneration of Poynton and the North of the Borough, in particular Macclesfield. The single carriageway scheme will relieve existing village centre traffic congestion, reduce traffic on less desirable roads on the wider network and provide a vital link in the wider infrastructure plan for the borough. There is potential for enhanced economic activity in and around Poynton district centre once through traffic has been removed. It would also provide improved connectivity for the northern Macclesfield business area and would improve the strategic link between A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road (A6MARR) and Junction 17 of the M6 via Congleton, thereby facilitating wider economic and transport benefits, including higher ‘Gross Value Added’ (GVA) and job creation.

A broader objective is also to deliver a range of complementary measures on the A523 corridor to Macclesfield that address road safety and congestion and which mitigate the wider environmental impact of traffic.

The link road will include a junction with the A523 London Road to the South, and the tie-in with the A6MARR and the South East Manchester Multi Modal Strategy (SEMMMS) at the northern extent of the scheme at Chester Road.

The scheme was prioritised by the Warrington and Cheshire Local Transport Board for devolved Department for Transport funding and is currently included in a bid for Local Growth Funds via the Cheshire and Warrington Strategic Economic Plan. Consultants have been working on route option development and two route options will be subject to public consultation in June 2014 with a Preferred Route Announcement in August 2014.’

I hope this further information will be of interest to you.

Yours sincerely

Martin Johnson
Customer Relations & Compliance

Cheshire East Council

There were complaints regarding planning and as of March 2014 the Council may have to undergo special measures due to ongoing problems with planning at Stockport Council.

Surely, not more LibDem dodgyness in planning? How much can there be?

“Factor against the disclosure of information is: loss of confidence in the public authority to protect the well-being of the community.”

Quite!

22 October 2013 18:46

Sheila,

Could you confirm then if you would like to meet? I have received no complaint from Mrs Parnell or any desire for me to contact her. I am happy for you to forward her my details if she would like to meet and discuss this.

Thanks

Alan

Insp Alan Clitherow
J1 North INPT
X 69701
Mobile 07795 811575