THE council has made certain proposals to alter traffic flow within Knutsford town centre. Regrettably, as clearly such proposals are well intentioned, I am certain that they are fundamentally flawed and wrong because they seek to cure an ill by killing the patient.
An expressed objective is to reduce parking in Princess Street and King Street. Undoubtedly there is a shortage of parking space in the town centre. Some years ago parking time was limited to 30 minutes. Inexplicably, the parking shortage for shoppers was exacerbated by allowing parking for an hour, thereby halving the opportunity to park. That combined with grossly inadequate enforcement of restrictions exaggerates the problem. Multistorey car parks behind Waitrose and in the lower off King Street car park would help, but should not exceed two storeys.
Traffic does not flow badly, provided parking restrictions are observed and providing delivery vehicles of large dimension do not block the road. Answer – require deliveries by vehicles over 3.5 tonnes to be made before 10am or after 4.30pm. If traffic is going too quickly, install speed recognition cameras and limit speed to 15mph for pedestrian safety.
The proposals as set forth in the video are ludicrously unworkable and take absolutely no account of the disruption which would be caused by making traffic needing to flow from one side of Knutsford towards Macclesfield or Holmes Chapel and vice versa.
Additionally, the proposal to route traffic alongside the river Lilley, along Moorside is wrong headed.
The children of Knutsford have only the play area on the Moor for enjoyment. To route traffic in proximity to that area would involve danger and air pollution of a much greater degree.
The proposals set forth by the council might benefit the few residents of the town centre, BUT at what cost? All the businesses in the centre will as in other towns locally, suffer. A bypass has for a long time been needed. It can only be from the far side of Fryers Nurseries, out towards the M6.
Such a bypass would remove traffic from the town and avoid gridlock when the M6 closes as it does all too frequently.
Simon Armstrong, Ollerton
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