This item has been placed on the agenda at the request of Councillor Paul Ankers.
Minutes:
A representative of the Deputy Chief Executive reported that this item had been placed on the agenda at the request of Councillor Paul Ankers.
Councillors Ankers raised some concerns and sought clarification in relation to the operation of the recent opened A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road, including:-
· What measures were proposed to test air quality on Macclesfield Road?
· What was the timeframe for completing the bund on Ashbourne Road?
· Was any consultation planned now the road had been completed?
· Further information was sought on the traffic light works on Maccesfield Road.
· Further information was sought on the accidents on the A555 near Woodford.
A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration attended the meeting to respond to the issues raised.
It was stated that although the road was open, the project was ongoing and the Council was receiving and responding to specific issues being raised by residents, rather than concerns about the overall scheme. It was practice to undertake post-completion consultation five years after the scheme is opened.
In relation to air quality it was stated that the Greater Manchester projections for Nitrous Oxide did not include Macclesfield Road, although it was planned to undertake further measuring by the end of the year that would then be including the data available online.
It was reported that the signals on Macclesfield Road had been adjusted after opening and that this had resolved a number of traffic issues that had been experienced. Fibre optic cabling was ongoing but TfGM anticipated completion of this work and everything being fully operational by the end of February. TfGM was also continuing to asses and evaluate the road to optimise junctions.
In relation to the bund, it was stated that work was due to commence imminently, depending on weather conditions.
Specifically in relation to the minor accidents taking place near Woodford Road, it was reported that the contractor had assessed the junction and was unable to explain the high number of incidents as the junction was of a standard design that was in use successfully on other roads in Greater Manchester. The Police had also not raised any concerns about the road, and it appeared that the incidents were caused by the decision making of the motorists involved.
Councillor Julian Lewis Booth raised the following issues:-
· The protective fencing to the rear of Darly Road appeared to end prematurely.
· When would the safety audit be completed? In response it was stated that the audit was current in progress and it was anticipated that results were expected by the end of March. The contractor would then be given the opportunity to respond to any of those findings. It was further stated that because of the significance of the route the audit team included road safety officers from Stockport, Cheshire East and Manchester councils, Greater Manchester Police, and independent auditors.
· Had the temporary traffic island on Macclesfield Road improved access and egress from Ashborne Road? In response it was stated that it had generally had a positive effect, including reducing ‘rat running’, but that it was not universally popular with residents. Changes to the signal phasing referenced earlier had led to motorists travelling faster. The situation would be kept under review.
· Could speed cameras be deployed on the new sections of the A555? In response it was stated that there was a camera being installed to enforce the restrictions on the bus bridge but this was not suitable for capturing speeding motorists. The Council would soon be deploying a camera car for use outside schools, but it could be used on the new road.
· Had the Council come to an agreement with the other councils on practical matters connected to the road? In response it was confirmed that discussions were ongoing but that progress had been made over responsibilities for gritting. All the parties involved were seeking common-sense solutions to ensure consistency of approach along the route.
The following further comments were made/ issues raised:-
· There were often long tailbacks to Disley that would be negatively impacting on air quality. Could more be done to improve traffic flow? In response it was stated that there had been traffic queuing along the A6 through High Lane for a number of years but that Cheshire East Council had installed additional signals in Disley in preparation for the new road and this may have had an impact on traffic flow.
· Were the signals, particularly at the Macclesfield Road junction, dynamic? In response, the challenges at this junction, particular for traffic coming from Poynton, were acknowledged and steps had been taken to improve them. It was also confirmed that in so far as possible the signalling had been designed to adapt to traffic flows but the modelling was predicated on the Poynton Bypass that had not yet been built, so there were some limitations. It was also commented that each junction would have a natural capacity that would limit the effectiveness of dynamic signals.
RESOLVED – That the report be noted.