We’ve reported a couple of times recently on the parking issues on St. Ann’s Road North – that some cars from the Cheadle Royal Business Park have started parking on St. Ann’s Road North, cause problems for residents.

At Cheadle Area Committee yesterday we received a report from Council officers looking at what can be done. I don’t have the report online, I’m afraid (happy to copy it if anyone particularly wants to see a copy).

The summary of the report and our response to it is:

• When it’s been checked, there have been between 4 and 14 cars parked on the eastern side of St. Ann’s Road North near the pedestrian entrance to the Cheadle Royal site.
• The business provides employment for around 2,500 people – with maybe another 1,500 moving to the site over time as it expands.
• People who work on the business park have the problem both of parking on site (there’s a lot of parking space, plus a lot more green space that’s not developed, but it seems some of the businesses on the park aren’t leasing enough spaces for their staff).
• There’s an additional problem for people on the site: the one exit is onto the A34 and it can take a very long time to get off the park and onto the A34, and then to move on from there.  As we all know, the Cheadle Royal roundabout grinds to a halt in the evening rush hour.
• MUSE have recently launched a commuter shuttle bus and are looking to expand bus provision.
• MUSE have said they are unable to control parking off-site by people working on the business park
• Highways officers say there’s no evidence of the parking on St. Ann’s Road North causing safety issues (something councillors are not wholly convinced of).
• Councillors considered looking in more detail at the issue with a view to putting down parking restrictions on St Ann’s Road North (e.g. double yellow lines).    For now, we don’t think that’s the best way to go.  The investigations would be expensive and more lines would most likely just move the parked cars around.  For example, as the pavements are being relaid at the moment, the cars have moved to park on the other side of the road.
• There’s a separate issue of cars speeding through the chicanes resulting in regular accidents.  Officers are looking into additional signs and lines around the chicanes to improve that.

So we’re still in the position of having no easy solution, and as the business park expands it’s reasonable to assume the problem’s going to get worse before it gets better.

We always have the option of looking again at putting down parking restrictions.  Another option might be to lock the pedestrian entrance from St. Ann’s Road North onto the business park (depending on whether or not it’s a public right of way).

My own view is that the long term option has to involve moving cars away from the site by expanding the shuttle bus and public transport provision, and perhaps also offering a “park and cycle” option – perhaps with additional car parks a mile or two away.