NEW measures designed to encourage walking and cycling in Wilmslow have been met with anger by residents.

That’s according to Cllr Iain Macfarlane, who says residents have sent ‘several angry letters’ to both him and Cheshire East Council’s highways team.

Cllr Macfarlane told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that much of their frustration surrounds the installation of wooden box-planters which are designed to act as chicanes to motor traffic — in order to reduce speeding and make it safer for people to cycle.

He said: “The planters, which are now positioned outside a lot of houses, are on a narrow stretch of road and the wrong place to do it. It is really upsetting residents.

“It is causing more dangers as they have crates in the middle of the road and it also does not look very nice. Residents can already park outside their houses so that takes the place of chicanes.

“I do not think there was a problem in the first place.”

“It is put down as an experiment and I have asked how long it will last for. People are not happy and letters are being sent to the highways team.”

Emails seen by the LDRS show that residents are also concerned that once lockdown restrictions are lifted, traffic will increase if the planters stay.

They say that’s in part due to the location of a school at the end of Broad Walk, as well as the re-opening of offices creating more movement of vehicles.

Wilmslow has been the site of battles over active travel, with their introduction in September 2020 prompting a backlash from residents after plans showed Hawthorn Lane — which leads on to Broad Walk — would be closed.