The Parish Council continues to try to find a solution to the problem of a short stretch of pavement on Main Road which is being undermined by the roots of a large beech tree. The roots of the tree have damaged the pavement to such an extent that it has become hazardous for pedestrians, especially to young children in pushchairs and less able residents using mobility scooters or wheelchairs. There have been reports of a child on a scooter and a resident on a mobility scooter having been tipped into the road and it is fortunate that these incidents didn’t result in serious injury.
The tree is the subject of a Tree Preservation Order and so cannot be removed which in any event is something that the council would wish to avoid. It does, however, remain the case that a suitable resolution needs to be found given the hazard that the pavement poses to pedestrians, the many concerns raised by residents and the level of traffic on this road.
There has been a great deal of work going on behind the scenes, by the Parish Council and Cheshire East Ward Councillor Andrew Kolker, over many months and involving multiple officers and departments at Cheshire East Council with little progress.
In March this year the Parish Council contacted Cheshire East Council and requested that a formal Highways Safety review of the pavement. In May the Parish Council was informed that Main Road is inspected for safety as part of a scheduled inspection regime 3 times per year. An inspection took place during May and it was reported that at that time there were no defects meeting the council’s intervention levels at this location. The Parish Council took issue with this and responded robustly.
The matter has now been raised with both The Road Safety Team and The Design Team at Cheshire East Council with a view to widening the pavement and narrowing of the road which would also provide a traffic calming solution. As always, this will depend on the funding available and may take some time – we will keep you updated.
In the meantime, the Parish Council encourages residents to report any problems or concerns via telephone on 0300 123 5020, or by reporting a problem online at https://fixmystreet.cheshireeast.gov.uk/ as Highways also respond to specific reports from residents and road users.