Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
Graham, Tom and Ian
Your Lib Dem team for Cheadle West & Gatley Learn more
What were the local issues four decades ago?
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
What were the local issues four decades ago?
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
Meeting with the Minister: transport in Stockport
by Lib Dem team on 4 April, 2012
Over the last year I’ve had three meetings with Norman Baker MP, both pressing the case for transport improvements in our area and discussing how we can better work together with the Department of Transport and the various other agencies.
Areas discussed include:
– A new tram-train service for Cheadle and Gatley, and for Marple. Tram-trains are a low-cost light rail that’s used on the continent and is currently being trialled on a line going into Doncaster. We expect those trials to take a while to finish. Hopefully, tram-train will get the go-ahead to be pushed out nationally in the next few years as a low-cost way to revitalise many of the local train routes that have either closed or only get very occasional services. I am pushing for two new lines through Stockport: Manchester-Marple and Stockport-Altrincham (and possibly beyond), with new stations at Adswood, Cheadle and Gatley.
– Getting more people cycling in Stockport, not only for the health benefits but to get cars off our roads, reduce parking problems (e.g. around Gatley Station and in our villages) and because cyclists actually spend more in shops than drivers over a month, according to recent research)
– Improving our existing stations. Gatley has been improved over the last few years, but still needs improved parking (for cars and bikes). Stockport station, with over 3 million users a year, desperately needs serious investment. The last government promised a £50 million boost, but the money vanished under scrutiny. We need real investment.
I’ve also had discussions with senior people at the Highways Agency about how they might work more closely with Stockport Council (they admit that the working relationship they have with local authorities isn’t all it could be). One practical change I’ve discussed is to signpost through traffic onto the motorway at Roscoe’s Roundabout – the entry/exit lane on the M60 between Roscoe’s and Kingsway is effectively a little Cheadle by-pass. When the sliproad is improved, I would like to look at taking more traffic onto the motorway and having less traffic sitting in queues on Cheadle High Street.
7 Comments
I like the push to improve rail, reduce car usage and make cycling a more viable option in the area. We’re ideally placed to make use of sustainable options but the infrastructure makes it much more difficult than it needs to be.
Any thoughts on options to get onto the fallowfield loop more easily by improvinge traffic light/ traffic free cycle lanes?
Nice job.
J
[…] posted here: Meeting with the Minister: transport in Stockport This entry was posted in Transport, Uncategorized and tagged business, crime, cycling, democrats, […]
NB – one of the more ‘reasonable’ MP’s.
Such a pity… that he be likely to go the way of most other such… at the next General election !
What about an alternative to the interminable queues on Gatley Road heading either from or to Gatley from/to Kingsway. Any thoughts about another route to get to the other side of the railway line? [this is the main cause of the queues. Now Iain, that WOULD be an achievement and an eternal legacy!!
The link on the tram/train would be a welcome boost to Cheadle and surrounding areas .
This link giving access to the private hospital that also carries out N.H.S work and is only a 100 yards from the tracks.
This will create jobs and access to the altrincham tram link and train network a boost to all that work and have to use a car at present to get to work and who live in cheadle and marple .
This link is well overdue.
Mr bartram
Ministers and Network Rail have only just identified a line to trail the Tram-Train concept on and no orders have been placed for such vehicles. It’s going to be a while but it’s a great idea that must be pushed forwards. A station in Cheadle is a must it would relive Gatley and possible Cheadle Hulme a little and as people wouldnt have to get to those stations there it might take a little pressure off the roads at busy times. As always these processes are drawn out but the end result will be worth it, namely a fast Altrincham to Stockport service with connections or continuation over heavy rail to Manchester.
Ever since the Manchester – Chester rail service was diverted via Stockport, the re-establishment of stations on the Stockport to Altrincham line became a strong feasibility. I would have thought Birdhall Lane, Cheadle, Gatley/Northenden, Southmoor Road and Baguley would easily generate enough traffic to justify them. Simple platforms would suffice in the immediate future with developments to follow where patronage justified it.
Another disgrace was the disconnection of the Romiley to Stockport line.