TOWN councillors are to seek the support of Tatton MP Esther McVey in their fight to cut the speed limit on Manchester Road in Knutsford.

Councillors are seeking a reduction in the 60 limit on a stretch of road which has seen three fatal crashes in the past four years and a number of serious collisions.

The latest death prompted a petition calling for a review of the speed limit, which was signed by 600 people.

Councillors agreed to write to Ms McVey at Monday’s council meeting, which was attended by representatives from Cottons Hotel and Spa and Fryer’s Garden Centre, and Manchester Road resident Val Dawson, who was there to represent fellow residents.

“I have been driving for well over 50 years in the UK and abroad, and quite frankly, that road at times terrifies me,” Mrs Dawson told councillors.

“We are a group of residents who are concerned about the number of serious and fatal accident near the exits and entrances to Cottons Hotel and Fryer’s Garden Centre. This fast, straight road has become an accident blackspot.”

She said residents wanted to see a cut in the speed limit to 40mph, with a flashing vehicle-activated Slow Down sign, solid white line to deter overtaking, red hatching to slow down drivers and concave mirrors to help drivers leaving the hotel and garden centre.

Cllr Stewart Gardiner said: “I am horrified this item is being discussed this evening because I have been talking about this for the last eight years.

“There was a scheme that was prepared by Cheshire East officers for a road traffic order to reduce the speed on that section of road.

“At the time the constabulary registered an objection. Therefore if the matter were to be referred to the courts - and it is highly probable it would have been - the council would have gone to the courts without the enforcers being in support of the proposition.

“I have persisted in my arguments that this matter should be reconsidered. It is not a lot of NIMBYs who do not want people to drive fast, it is people concerned about safety.

“Perhaps we should go above the local police’s head and even above David Keane’s head. We have an MP who is also a member of the Government, and we could ask her to speak to the Home Secretary about this.”

Cllr James Power said: “No ifs, no buts, the speed limit has to come down on this road. For the past four of five years since I was a councillor, and before, I have requested this is treated as a matter of urgency. We are not going to back down on this.”

Cllr Peter Coan said the town council had campaigned non-stop to have the speed limit reduced, and called for pressure to be brought to bear on Cheshire East and the police to take action.

Town mayor Cllr Andrew Malloy said: “It would be great to get out there, change the speed limit, put up signs and flashing warnings, but that’s not in our gift unfortunately.

“So the best thing we can do is to continue to petition to ask those that can make a change to make that change happen.”