Iain Roberts

For several months I’ve been working on a campaign to improve the traffic situation around Schools Hill and Broadway.  I’ve been asking residents in the area for their views on what can be done.

A couple of people have contacted me, concerned that I might be proposing speed humps or similar traffic calming measures.

The answer to those concerns is a resounding “no“.  No-one has said they want speed humps, or chicanes or anything like that, I don’t think it would be a good idea and since School’s Hill is a main road, it isn’t an option anyway.

We do need to calm traffic in certain places, as well as improving traffic flow at junctions.  Options that have been suggested by residents include speed checks (which could be the ones that give you a ticket if you go too fast, or the ones that just tell you your speed), improved signs, mini-roundabouts and traffic lights.

It’s been really great to see so many ideas and I look forward to working with residents to  figure out the best solution and working to get it implemented.

Just wanted to say thank you to the Bowmen of Bruntwood.  I took three kids along this morning for their training session.  The four of us had good tuition and successfully fired six arrows each into the targets.

Then the kids had a great time playing in the play area - and all on a day that looks this morning like it would most likely be rain all day - fantastic.

Several people have requested junction protection - i.e. double yellow lines - where Stonepail Road meets Church Road.

Seems like a fair request.  Not only do vehicles parked right on the junction make it difficult to turn out safely, but elderly people can have problems crossing the road at the dropped kerb to get to the bus stop on Church Road.

We’ll make sure it’s looked into properly.

Busy day today.  My son’s off watching Stockport County (not over yet but not looking good when I checked a few minutes ago).  We’ve been delivering our latest leaflet, with more news of what I’ve been up to.

Good news: the pothole on Gatley Road opposite Springfield Road has been repaired after I contacted the Council to move things on last week.

More potholes I’ve reported have been marked up for repair, including one in Acres Road (just down from the Prince of Wales pub).

The positive response to our work on traffic problems around Schools Hill and Broadway in Cheadle continues - lots of good ideas, so please keep them coming.

Lots more to come…

(Update: looks like County snatched a draw with a penalty five minutes into injury time - will hear the whole story soon).

Hot on the heels of our success with the study into a new Cheadle railway station comes news of High Speed Rail to Manchester.

I have to say that this is even earlier in the process: the Government haven’t given their view and there are probably all sorts of barriers in the way of the estimated £34 billion to build the high speed line from London to Scotland, via Birmingham and Manchester.

But we can dream!  Maybe in a few years time I’ll be able to step onto a train in Gatley or Cheadle and be in London an hour and  a half later.  That’s about as long as it takes to get from Gatley to Liverpool by train today.

Manchester to London in 1 hour 6 minutes - it would be nice.

A few days ago I reported some graffiti to the Council: on the BT junction box at the end of Old Hall Road and on one of the stop signs in the same area.

I was really pleased this morning to see that the graffiti has been cleared off - good news.

Had a leaflet through the door advertising a farmers market in Heald Green that sounds well worth a visit.

Promoted by the Lions and Beefeater, the market will be at The Beefeater, Finney Lane, Heald Green from 9am to 1pm on Sunday 30th August.

Following the move of the florist to Massie Street, there’s now a planning application (DC/042668) to convert the old premises at 19A High Street to an Ice Cream Parlour.

You can see the plans online here and leave your comments, for or against, here.

A few days ago I reported several potholes along Gatley Green.  Glad to see these have now been marked up for repair.

Going around Gatley in the last couple of days, I see that lots of houses have received the flier for the Heald Green Theatre Company.

No one in Gatley is more than five minutes drive from the theatre, just off Styal Road and literally a stone’s-throw from the ward boundary (Yew Tree Grove is in Cheadle & Gatley, Pymgate Lane is in Heald Green).

The programme for 2009-10 looks excellent and at £7 a ticket you can’t go far wrong - why not pay a visit; I will be.