Walking and cycling take precedence at Black Lane

Now you may be wondering what’s been going on at the junction of Black Lane and Hurdsfield Road for the last twelve or so weeks.

The pavements have been extended, narrowing the carriageway to the extent that there’s no longer a filter lane for traffic approaching Hurdsfield Road looking to turn left into Black Lane by the car wash.

The net result is that rather than two lanes of traffic, there’s just one, resulting in traffic backing up, back to the roundabout much more frequently.

But panic not, it’s not yet another mistake by Cheshire East Highways Department – it was planned.

The idea is to make life easier for pedestrians and cyclists, although quite how a reduced carriageway helps cyclists is beyond me – maybe Cheshire East doesn’t realise cyclists  aren’t supposed to ride on the footpath. Indeed there’s supposed to be a £500 fine for any cyclist doing so – but this is the real world and cyclists can pretty much do as they choose.

According to Cheshire East their latest traffic scheme, “will offer much-improved access from Macclesfield to one of the borough’s outstanding countryside amenities – the Middlewood Way.”

The scheme – via Hurdsfield Road and Black Lane – has been substantially funded by Sustrans (a cycling lobby group), and “represents the quality of planned, or developed cycling and walking routes in Cheshire East.”

“Costing £750,000 the route has been constructed to National Cycle Network design principles for high quality cycle way infrastructure.”

Cheshire East tell us “Black Lane, in Macclesfield, is a popular route for cyclists accessing Middlewood Way and the town centre but is narrow and busy with commercial traffic and traffic leaving the large Tesco store, where there is also a filling station.”

“Footways on Black Lane and Hurdsfield Road have been widened. New crossing points have been added. The scheme also includes upgrades to a toucan crossing and a signalled junction on Hurdsfield Road and improved street lighting. Tactile surface tiling has been laid to emphasise walking and cycling priority, along with raised highway surfaces at various crossing points. As well as new signage, there will be a new guard rail alongside the River Bollin.”

Councillor Craig Browne, Cheshire East Council deputy leader and chair of the highways and transport committee, said: “Active travel is a key policy of this council and is embedded in our long-term core objectives to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion. This project will also make a contribution towards our target to become carbon-neutral, both as a council and a borough.

“We are pleased that Sustrans and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, have seen fit to support this project. The Middlewood Way is a scenic, rural walking and cycling route and this additional work will give users a close link with the town centre of Macclesfield, the railway station and other amenities, while access to Middlewood Way opens up an 11mile traffic-free, uninterrupted, canal-side journey through Bollington and Higher Poynton, and onto Marple in the borough of Stockport.”

UK Shared Prosperity Fund has contributed £100k to the Black Lane scheme. Sustrans has contributed £568,620, with £40,000 coming from Cheshire East Council. 

Cheshire East added: “Some interruption to the completion of the entire scheme has become unavoidable, while the planned crossing point at the exit from the Tesco store is refined to meet the landowner’s requirements. But once fully completed, the new route will add to the many other active travel schemes the council is progressing as part of its policy to reduce car dependency, improve air quality and promote Cheshire East as a green borough.”

All laudable stuff but people don’t yet do their supermarket shopping on foot or cycles.