Marple Website Community Calendar
Archive => Archived Boards => Local Issues => Topic started by: Marple Civic Society on June 15, 2008, 07:34:13 PM
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Marple Civic Society are pleased to see plans are being prepared to encourage more use of this car park.
However we have very strong reservations about the proposed changes to the traffic arrangements on the Stockport Road/Hollins junction. Please look at the News Page in our Website www.marplecivicsociety.org.uk and let us have your views.
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The Marple Civic Society had a stand in the Co-op the other day, giving information about the Council's proposals for reorganising traffic flow and car parking in the centre of Marple.
The propsals are interesting and potentially controversial. It's worth having a look at this link to find out more:
Link removed - no longer working. Admin.
Whatver the rights and wrongs of the proposals, one thing stands out: it would surely be sheer madness to reduce the width of the road outside McKays so that any vehicle waiting to turn right into Hollins Lane obstructs all the traffic behind it. ::)
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reducing the width of the road seems a favourite of Stockports traffic planners. The new road layout at George Lane and Hyde road on the George Lane side has seen the two lanes at the junction reduced to one. Now all the traffic has to queue up.
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How else can we justify the proposed congestion charge if the road planners don't create more congestion?
(note there may be some irony in that comment, but not much)
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I am getting confusing information concerning changes to the road layout in Marple Centre. One source says the proposals have been dropped, others say they are as follows.
"The proposals as they stand are for a modification to the Hollins Lane/Stockport Road junction that will improve pedestrian safety and reduce peak time congestion and to reverse the one way operation on Trinity Street to allow traffic to access the car park directly off Stockport Road rather than having to go ‘round the houses’ to get to Church Lane and Chadwick Street. The proposals also allow for refurbishing the car park and providing additional CCTV"
I have not seen a diagram, but if these proposals are as Marple Resident unfriendly, as one source has suggested - reducing pavement area, then it is essential we find out more before they are introduced. Town Centers should be for the benefit of those shopping on foot. It is well known that Pedestrianised Town Centers provide a better shopping environment which raises income for shop owners. If this proposal is primarily to prevent traffic congestion, and to save some motorists from "going round the houses", I am doubtful if the proposal will benefit Marple as a whole.
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I've merged this new topic with a couple of older ones about the same subject. I don't know if the proposals are going ahead or not but I suspect they will be.
I di know that Marple Civic Society are objecting to the proposals and you can read more details here:
Link removed - no longer working. Admin.
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If the changes are the same as previously proposed (about 2 years ago) the aspect which concerns me is the reversal of flow into the service road between Church Lane and the Hollins. The large lorries which deliver to Boots and Iceland would surely have difficulty negotiation the turn into this road, and would certainly cause congestion on Stockport Road. Is this the proposal?
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Does the fact that work has started on the car park mean that all the other proposals will be put into effect?
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There is a fairly detailed statement on the Marple Civic Society web site News page explaining what work is being done now and what is to be reconsidered by Marple Area Committee. The current work seems to include the car park refurbishment and reversal of the direction of traffic into Trinity Street, but this is being done without structural change to the road, just the road markings.
The work being reconsidered (following the MCS objections) includes the creation of extra traffic lanes on Stockport Road and Hollins Lane, the removal of part of the Hollins forecourt and Hollins Lane pavement, the removal of the existing pedestrian crossings and the creation of a pedestrian refuge in the centre of the Stockport Road/ Hollins Lane junction.
Follow this link to the Society's news page: http://www.marplecivicsociety.org.uk/marple%20news.html
and this one to their report: http://www.marplecivicsociety.org.uk/Chadwick%20St%20Statement%20%2028th%20November%202008.pdf
Some of the links to the Civic Society site in earlier messages no longer work, so I've removed them.
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Thanks for the links, Mark - they are a useful and (in my view) encouraging update. The Chadwick Street Car Park has been a mess for as long as I can remember. If the result of these changes is that it will now be easier to access and have a sensible traffic flow with clear entrances and exits, then that has to be an improvement.
Like others, I was concerned about some of the changes proposed for the Stockport Road/Hollins Lane junction, and it's good that these seem to have been dropped. :)
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Its going to take the fire fighters of marple alot longer to get to the fire station! and when we informed of stockport council of this do you know what they said........NOT MY PROBLEM!
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Anyone remember this topic? The one way system behind Iceland has come in to effect. The highways agency have just put the signs up and are wiring them in now. It's total chaos there at the moment as cars are coming from both directions! To me it's crazy as any traffic coming up that way has to pull out on to Church Lane which at the best of times is impossible due to vans parking outside Harrods.
Got to hand it to SMBC for a well thought through plan! ::)
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It was certainly fairly chaotic this morning, with several cars going the wrong way and exiting from Trinity Street into Stockport Road, while others were turning in from Stockport Road! I suppose it's understandable - when you've used a road in one direction for years, you just carry on out of sheer habit, and as we all know, locals never look at road signs anyway! But once there have been a few accidents we'll no doubt get used to it. ;)
But hopefully it will make the Chadwick St/Trinity St car park more accessible - and the new car park layout looks to be an improvement anyway. ;D
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For the benefit of those who don't know the new system (incl. me), can you please explain the new road priorities clearly? Many thanks.
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Basically you can't go down the service road any more all the way to the bottom to pull out on to Stockport Road, you can only go down as far as the carpark entrance which is directly behind Iceland. However you can now pull on to the service road from Stockport Road (opposite Greggs) to get in to the carpark or continue right though to Church Lane. (but go slow if you do cause there's a lot of cars that still are coming the original way!)
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I had a gander at the service road changes myself today. During the 15 mins I was there, ONE car came in from Stockport Road and TEN continued the wrong way. Being public spirited, I flagged down four cars and advised them of the new traffic control. If you didn't live in Marple, then you'd perhaps notice the no entry signs. For a motorist familiar with the service road, it simply isn't clear enough. In my opinion, there should be a "hump" on the road at the point of 'no entry' and signs that say e.g. "NEW ROAD PRIORITY" close to kerb on both sides. The turn into the one-way system from Stockport Road is an accident waiting to happen.
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I have advised Councillor Craig Wright of the traffic issue and received a swift reply (he has sent a ‘cc’ to the other relevant councillors)
“Thank you for your email. I knew this change was about to happen but I didn't know it had actually happened. It is clear that we need to do something special, short term at least, to let people know that there is a change. New 'No Entry' markings on the road surface is the obvious one and I will get onto it straight away. Regards, Craig Wright”
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It was certainly chaotic there on Saturday morning with the majority of traffic going the wrong way! Dangerous for pedestrians too, with two lines of vehicles squeezing through. Can anyone explain the benefits of this change... yes it's now easier for vehicles to get to the car park, but don't they have the original problem on the way out, having to go via Church Lane and the traffic lights?
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>:( its silly and dangerous, people forget to look the new way, I saw a woman do it today. Something that has been there for so many years suddenly changed! STUPID! ???
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There are now "No Entry" road markings. I observed several cars being oblivious to the new layout today. It's a classic case of people being "blind" to the changes. Perhaps a barrier and press button system will resolve the issue! LOL. ;D
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the no entry sign was there the other day, a woman looked the wrong way yesterday and nearly got squished, by a car coming the other way. Why fix something that isn't broken?
I also saw a royal mail van, go the wrong way while waiting for the bus this morning
An accident waiting to happen people! :-\
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It's an accident waiting to happen at both ends. Cars ignoring the new one way system (pausing to observe them but passing though all the same) and at the other end vans parking on double yellow lines blocking visibility for cars that have to pull out to church lane. Sometimes you may as well shut your eyes and prey while getting out that end.
I agree with Pirate Princess... Why fix something that isn't broken?
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Dont see what all the fuss is about. I remember when turning on to Trinity St from Stockport Rd was stopped more than twenty five years ago. We also lost access via Church st, It made the journey home to cottage surgery area longer when approaching from Posset Bridge end of Marple. Some may say the journey from home onto the main road will take a bit longer, but Trinity St was never a public road to exit on stockport Rd. It is a service road to the car park, shops and pubs. There have been police especially at christmas times, stopping to ask motorists where they have come from ? and warning them not to use the road for cutting through to Stockport Road .The sign at the Church Lane end of Trinity St ,says "Access Only "has been ignored by most motorists for years. We will all get used to it eventually!!
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Dont see what all the fuss is about. I remember when turning on to Trinity St from Stockport Rd was stopped more than twenty five years ago. We also lost access via Church st,
Blast from the past, I can only just remember Church St not having any bollards on, so that could make it nearly 30 years ago. I must be getting old :o I think this could be a white elephant from SMBC, watch it change back in a few months???!!
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I can't understand why a 'NO THROUGH ROAD' sign or cul-de-sac 'T' sign has not been installed at Church Lane end, I know the locals probably won't see them but it should help.
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It may be because it is not a NO THROUGH ROAD.
You can go into the car park and exit via Chapel Fields.
Perhaps the sign should read 'no access to Stockport Road'
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??? COME ON!
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As i see it the only way out of the car park is Triity Street onto Church Lane. Ray.
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Right you are Ray, there's two exits for the carpark and they are both on Trinity street. Chadwick street is an entrance not an exit (BTW Chapel Fields is pedestrianised :P )
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I still think its abit dumb. Its confusing everyone :-[
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If going in and out of a car park is confusing how did you pass a driving test. Ray
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Whoo! this could get interesting ;D Let battle commence ;)
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For your informantion Raymond I don't drive, what I mean It is confusing for the people who use what god has given us (our legs :o) and walk in and around Marple. :-*
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There are no restrictions if you're walking, you can go in either direction ::)
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Well said Admin.I always have to read Pirate Princess posts twice, I just dont get them ??? Is it just me?
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The name is Ray. Ray
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There are no restrictions if you're walking, you can go in either direction ::)
To be fair though, Mrs NBT has seen several pedestrians saunter across the road while checking traffic in entirely the wrong directions as it's been one-way the other way for so many years. It will take time for people to get used to it
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Thankyou nbt, You can join my crew and so can Mrs nbt ;D
Sooty 2 is off on one again ya know what I just don't get you either::)! and mark (boss) its not the point in walking direction, its which way to look when you are crossing because at the moment cars are coming both ways!! a car and a van bumped into each other today just seconds after I crossed the road. I'm board with this conversation for now.
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Thank God for that !
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and mark (boss) its not the point in walking direction, its which way to look when you are crossing because at the moment cars are coming both ways!!
Fair comment - but don't forget your green-cross code - always look both ways, even when crossing a one way street.
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Nothing surprises me about Stockport Council...from putting up lights on Hillgate when the roundabout was fine, to erecting lights on Lisburne lane ie: half a mile of traffic coming from Marple only 6 cars coming from Great Moor....Brilliant!
Now we have the fiasco of traffic reversal opposite the Hollins, so if you are coming from Posset bridge direction you have to turn left across the waiting buses, how long will it take before a bus rams a car?
The new street lamps are another joke.... the lamp in my toilet is brighter, talk about dark & dreary Marple !
I have emailed the council, but no reply, the only way to get something done is to contact a councillor... Shan Alexander has been good or let's get Mr. Stunnel on board.
So I would suggest all well & good to get these problems of one's chest...but action is needed of a mithering kind!
contact your councillor now!
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May I suggest, that you keep a log of all your communications to your elected representative, ypu might be glad!
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At last NO THROUGH ROAD SIGNS have been put up at Church Lane end as I suggested should happen.
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Sorry to dig up this old topic, just wondered - Has anyone else spotted the large, wide signpost in front of the Hollins row of shops (the dry cleaners, off licence, etc), pointing to the Carver Theatre and Chadwick St car park? Is it new?
You can't really miss it, anyway... It's enormous! Big and wide enough for a dual carriageway or motorway, towering over pedestrians and completely ignoring the row of benches and pedestrianised area. It's probably not even particularly visible from the road as it's sited so far in from the pavement, behind two bus stops, and hard to see that it's pointing down Trinity Street.
I understand the need to get people to park up and spend money in Marple, but this is a real blot on the streetscape!
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Sorry to dig up this old topic, just wondered - Has anyone else spotted the large, wide signpost in front of the Hollins row of shops (the dry cleaners, off licence, etc), pointing to the Carver Theatre and Chadwick St car park? Is it new?
You can't really miss it, anyway... It's enormous! Big and wide enough for a dual carriageway or motorway, towering over pedestrians and completely ignoring the row of benches and pedestrianised area. It's probably not even particularly visible from the road as it's sited so far in from the pavement, behind two bus stops, and hard to see that it's pointing down Trinity Street.
I understand the need to get people to park up and spend money in Marple, but this is a real blot on the streetscape!
Have you reported it too Marple civic society
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Regarding road changes in general, and although out of area Poynton in particular, you may be interested in reading the following article :-http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018xs8t (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018xs8t)