Village to get 20mph speed limit (From Knutsford Guardian)

Village to get 20mph speed limit

8:30am Saturday 1st September 2012 in News By David Morgan

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to make Holmes Chapel safer for pedestrians are on the road to victory.

Residents have been putting up with HGVs trundling through the village for more than 40 years due to its direct link with the M6.

But there has been a major breakthrough after Fiona Bruce MP put pressure on Cheshire East Council.

Mrs Bruce challenged council leader Michael Jones to take action to tackle the problems as a matter of ‘utmost urgency’.

As a result, she says the authority has agreed in principal to support a reduction in the speed limit through Holmes Chapel to 20mph.

Mrs Bruce, who described the issue as her priority for the village, said: “This is an excellent result for Holmes Chapel and the people who have campaigned tirelessly to see a reduction in the speed limit.

“There have been countless accidents as people use Holmes Chapel as a rat-run to avoid congestion elsewhere – mainly on the M6.

“I am extremely grateful to Clr Jones for pressing this important matter with council officers and hope that residents who live along the affected roads will soon enjoy a far better quality of life with far less noise and disturbance than has been the case for such a long time.

“After such a long time this is very much in line with the Government’s thinking on local traffic safety. The Government has recently made it easier for local authorities to implement reductions in speed limits by cutting red tape surrounding these procedures.”

A spokesman for Cheshire East Council said: “Speed is a concern for all residents in Cheshire East and we are actively reviewing the speeds on all our roads.

“We must balance calls for reduced speed limits with the demands of motorists and local businesses and only lower speed limits where we feel it is appropriate.

“In Holmes Chapel we are looking to work closely with the parish council to address the concerns of residents about speeding motorists.”