November 2007 News Update NEW RELIEF ROAD STILL ON THE CARDS 7 Expectations are high amongst the 7 Leaders of Stockport, Manchester and Cheshire Councils who SEMMMS stands for anticipate a decision shortly from South East Manchester Government on an option for the Multi Modal Strategy. It is phased delivery of the SEMMMS a 20-year transport New Relief Road. Heaton Chapel strategy, which is The 25km road has been on the improving the lives of cards since the local authorities first Heaton Moor Brinnington Woodley submitted their business case back in M60 JUNCTION 25 people living and working A6 STOCKPORT RD WEST JUNCTION 2004. After years of planning, public in south-east Greater Didsbury OSBORNE ST JUNCTION consultation and negotiation, the Heaton Manchester. 0 Kilometres 1 2 3 Norris Bredbury A5145 Romiley Department for Transport (DfT) finally Miles 0 1 2 STOCKPORT recognised that the scheme would M60 SEMMMS is the output of a A626 A34 “deliver significant benefits in A6 A560 Edgeley strategic partnership between relieving congestion in the South East M60 Heaviley the local authorities in MARPLE RD JUNCTION Marple Manchester area” earlier this year. Gatley Cheshire, Derbyshire, However, in June, they failed to give Sharston Adswood Manchester, Stockport and Cheadle Offerton the green light to a £433m road STEPPING BEAN LEACH ROAD HILL JUNCTION Tameside and the Greater M56 LINK scheme, citing issues of “affordability A34 Davenport A5102 OFFERTON ROAD Manchester Passenger Cheadle JUNCTION of the scheme within available B5166 Hulme Transport Authority/Executive. budgets.” A5102 A6 Hazel Grove One of the key recommendations Wythenshawe B5358 SEMMMS 7 is the latest A5149 A6 A5143 BUXTON from the DfT was to consider A523 ROAD JUNCTION update on the improvements SHADOW MOSS Heald A34 delivering the road scheme in a RD JUNCTION Green A5102 that SEMMMS district RINGWAY RD JUNCTION B5166 MACCLESFIELD RD number of phases, in order to make it STYAL RD JUNCTION JUNCTION authorities are introducing in Bramhall more affordable over a longer period and around Manchester. A523 Manchester A5149 of time. The three authorities forged WILMSLOW RD Airport JUNCTION A555 WOODFORD RD ahead with this recommendation and JUNCTION In this edition you will find Handforth A5102 have since submitted a proposal CHESTER RD JUNCTION stories about your area on the offering a phased approach to the B5358 Poynton following pages: construction of the relief road. A5102 A523 www. ADLINGTON Councillor Dave Goddard, Leader of Woodford IND. EST. JUNCTION A34 AIRFIELD Stockport Council, said: “Phasing the Wilmslow cheshire.gov.uk relief road wouldn’t be our preferred A523 B5358 A523 choice, but it would be a huge step in LONDON 6, 12 ROAD A34 JUNCTION the right direction. Whilst we continue www. to raise the scheme at the highest level Alderley Edge with government, we must also derbyshire.gov.uk continue to work within the current B5358 KEY 12, 15 constraints to find a way forward as SEMMMS New Relief Road Scheme A523 IMPROVEMENT Existing Manchester Airport Link Road West TO A523 quickly as possible. Securing the Possible Junction Locations www. money needed to complete the road manchester.gov.uk in phases would ultimately deliver the Prestbury relief road we so urgently need.” 3, 4, 13 Cheshire County Council's Executive Member for Highways and www. Transportation, Eveleigh Moore stockport.gov.uk Dutton, said: "We are committed to working with our partners to deliver 2, 4, 10 this major scheme, which is vital to improve the problems of congestion, www. accessibility and road safety faced tameside.gov.uk daily by the travelling public”. 5, 11, 14 For more information please call 0845 300 6717 2 semmms News Update77 , November 2007 New Urban Park Set For St Peter’s Square shared surface, with vehicular access limited to servicing vehicles and buses. These highways improvements will help to create a more pleasant environment for pedestrians, as well as providing better links to other areas of the town centre including the market and Merseyway. Councillor David White, Executive Member for Transportation, said: “St Petersgate and St Peter’s Square are underutilised and traffic dominated. With SEMMMS support we are able to re- organise road layouts to calm traffic and create a safe, secure and sociable environment that people can visit and enjoy.” As part of the scheme, Cobden’s statue, a landmark for over 120 years, has been St Peter's Square to be transformed in Stockport relocated off the highway to a more prominent position on the St Peter’s Square is set to be reduced traffic and environmental axis of St Petersgate and Lord transformed into a 3.3 acre ‘urban improvements will provide a more Street to mark the entrance to park’ - the first of its kind for fitting backdrop for the valuable the square. New footpaths, signs Stockport town centre. historic assets of St Peter’s Church and landmarks will also help to Funding from SEMMMS and and St Petersgate. link Stockport’s historic other areas has helped the council The scheme is already marketplace to the Merseyway to realise its ambitious vision for an underway with the surrounding Shopping Centre and the Plaza exciting new civic space, where streets being converted into a Steps. Safer Parking From SEMMMS As part of overall accessibility improvements, car parks in Stockport’s District Centres have benefited from SEMMMS funding - helping to make Stockport one of the safest and easiest places to park. Improvements to landscaping, redefined layout of spaces, additional cycling and disabled facilities and safer pedestrian routes have all contributed to giving Stockport one of the best safety records in the North West, encouraging more people to visit and shop in local areas. Car parks in Cheadle, Bramhall, Marple and Edgeley are just some examples of where SEMMMS funding has been used to make the area as safe and user-friendly as possible. Councillor David White, Executive Member for Transportation, said: “Consultation with local traders and the public highlighted concerns in accessing their shopping centres. Using SEMMMS funding we were able to make local areas more accessible by improving our car parks as a way of regenerating and sustaining high street shopping areas.” “Improvements to our car parks, along with refurbishment of some of the centres and other transport packages have resulted in an increase in trade. Indeed, this Christmas, businesses in Marple reported a 30% increase in trade to which the local Business Forum credited convienent car parking. Thanks to SEMMMS this type of regeneration does make a difference.” Car parking made safer and more accessible thanks to SEMMMS funding For more information please call 0845 300 6717 semmms News Update77 , November 2007 3 Third rail platform on way at Manchester Airport Third platform to benefit rail passengers travelling to and from Manchester Airport Councillor Andrew Fender, the Manchester "Manchester Airport is the North's biggest airport spokesperson for the Passenger Transport handling more than 60% of the traffic through all Authority, said: "We want to encourage more the North's airports and is the UK's biggest airport people to use public transport to reach outside London. Manchester Airport. Thousands of people already “This scheme to increase platform capacity at travel to the airport by train and the new platform the airport's rail station will improve the reliability Work to build a third railway platform at will help to increase that number in the future. and punctuality of rail services to and from the Manchester Airport began earlier this year and is “It's vital we improve the capacity of the railway airport across the North.” due to be finished by December 2008. station as Manchester Airport continues to 22 million passengers use Manchester Airport The £15 million project is being jointly funded expand. There are also frequent bus services to the each year and more than 7.5% (approximately 1.5 by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport airport and we still have plans to built a new million) travel to and from the airport by train. That Authority, Network Rail, and The Northern Way. Metrolink line to it.” figure is expected to increase to 38 million by Manchester Airport is leasing the land needed for Peter Strachan, Network Rail Route Director, 2015, with passengers making up to 3 million more the extra platform to Network Rail. said: “This is a momentous step towards meeting journeys to the airport and back by train. The new platform will help to significantly the ever growing demands for rail and air travel. The platform’s scheduled opening in December improve the rail network in the region by The extra platform will give us greater flexibility 2008 will coincide with the completion of the West increasing the capacity of the airport station. It will when planning future timetables and will Coast Main Line upgrades and the new West Coast have room for up to eight carriages so that longer considerably improve the reliability of services and Main Line timetable. The introduction of the new trains will be able to use the station. The platform the impact they have on other trains in Greater platform will also allow for the future development will also help improve the reliability of existing Manchester and further afield.” of a western rail link to the airport. services that bring large numbers of passengers Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the and workers to and from the rail station. North West Development Agency (NWDA) said: SEMMMS funding points the way to Longsight District Centre New signs are being introduced around the district centre in Longsight. This work is being carried out around this important district centre in South East Manchester to improve its overall appearance and also to attract more residents and visitors to local shops and facilities.