Lockside Rat Run

so I guess that means you've not been driving up there then - might have known it was all your fault!  

[alastair]

It might be because my parents moved out !!! LOL

[PeteA]

Hi Everybody,

Sorry for taking such a long time to get round to doing this (a 9-10 month old child does seem to enjoy lots of play in the evenings and at weekends) but...

Thanks for the great effort from everybody, MCC, SMBC, BW and Forum posters! It is very much appreciated. Over the last month or so it has been very noticeable that Lockside has been a lot quieter and thus safer indeed.  

Regards,

PeteA

[MCC Executive Committee]

Thank you Alan.
 '>  '>  

[alan@marple]

Thanks to Mr Adrian Taylor and the MCC  for following up this matter. Already there is an improvement as " Rat runners" are getting the message. '>

[MCC Executive Committee]

If you visit the short stretch of gated highway running parallel to the canal near the Wharf buildings, off Lockside, you will see that the gate at the Church Lane end, now has a nice chain and padlock.
Hopefully common sense has prevailed and the problems experienced by Locksiders will now go away regarding traffic abuse.
A cheap solution has prevailed, at little cost to residents.

 Â                    WELL DONE LOCKSIDERS.
 

[MCC Executive Committee]

SMBC officers presented their report at Marple Area Committee tonight, 10th. September, and it was accepted that something has to be done.
It was felt that the old procedure of locking the gates at the rear of the Wharf would be helpful to prevent the current cut through and British Waterways will be asked to do this again, BW believe that it is not their responsibility as the road running parallel to the canal is adopted highway (SMBC responsibility?).
The recorded speeds were quite high on occasions and surprised the listeners to the report.
"Residents will be consulted" regarding any solutions which may be proposed or considered.
It was accepted that the users and (the speeders) of the road were all probably local people.
It's a case of watch this space.

 

[MCC Executive Committee]

SMBC officers have now done a report, listing evidence concerning vehicle movements ie speed, numbers, times of day etc., the report also points out previous arrangements that British Waterways had in place concerning vehicle movements at the rear of the Canal Wharf.
The report is on the agenda of Marple Area Committee for discussion next Wednesday 10th. September.
As before we will inform residents of this discussion.
The problems that exist on Lockside have in fact existed for years in one form or another, it is about time that "things" were put in place to resolve the problems once and for all.
 

[alan@marple]

The Rat Run continues!, the road works at Hibbert Lane/Church st has now caused for for Lockside to be the shortcut to avoid this obstruction, Lockside is now being used as a through route, the accident is waiting to happen

[MCC Executive Committee]

"A few days" has become almost a month - sorry about that!
Not our fault really, just adding to our information.
We received a fair number of replies by letter and telephone on the issue of Lockside traffic, these are now summarised on www.marplehighwaywatch.co.uk if you can get through the maze.
We cannot go any further on this, it's now up to the Council.
Not everyone is on the internet, so we will deliver a copy of our letter to SMBC with a copy of the summary placed on "highwaywatch".
Thanks to all who took time out to contact us. '>

[MCC Executive Committee]

In the next few days we will summarise what Lockside residents have told us, also any responses we have received from SMBC.
It would appear at this stage that the situation is complicated regarding the status of the highway along the canal side, but nonetheless we are sure that a result can be achieved.
So watch this space.

Adrian Taylor
Chairman

[PeteA]

<rant>
Er, Cable & Wireless as was, and ntl (why they use lower case characters I do not know) as is, did cable up Lockside a few years ago, or if they didn't they certainly dug a lot of holes and put in connection points outside each house. Only when I ring up nlt to get broadband they said (depending on when I rang):
- "Yes it is cabled up, but no you can't have broadband there is some connection problem, try again in 3 months", or,
- "Lockside has got some connection problem, it has never worked for TV never mind Internet, not sure what it is, but it'll be fixed in 6 months"
Thanks goodness the BT ADSL registration target was reached, well done everybody for registering!
<\rant>
Oh, thats better, glad to get that off my chest!

[alan@marple]

Just as a sideline to the lockside matter:

When cable and wireless or ntl as it is now, cabled the whole of Marple they left out Lockside.

When I enquired about this with the cable company, as I wanted to have a choice between cable or satelite I was advised that the waterways would not allow the road to be dug up unless under their supervision, we did not get cable.

Who supervised the digging at Lockside last year when new water pipes were laid, the  road surface and pavement  leaves a lot to be desired... sorry if I have gone off the track just an added point for your interest

[alastair]

Yeah Suttons Lane is officially as far as I am aware is owned by the house owners on that road especially the big house at the top!
Lockside is correctly acknowledged as being owned by the Waterways Board and is let out by them!
We as residents actually need to have permission to place a skip on there or anything similar!

[PeteA]

Point taken about the non-resident parking to see relatives. It is only usually a problem during work hours and on summer weekends (mind you there is some terrible parking as well '>. The car park behind the Navigation Inn is not that convenient for most people on Lockside and I think it is Pay-and-Display, perhaps that is why it never seems to be that full? I understand that the areas used for parking on Lockside are passing bays, I just wonder what would happen if this was ever enforced. I have been led to understand that Lockside is an adopted highway, and that it is on British Waterways property - can anybody throw any light on this? What would the implications be?
Oh, and one more reason for a speed limit is to protect the ducklings that seem to think the road is their route between lock ponds - there is one family of 6 or 7 that are using it at the moment.
I don't think the oneway idea will work for the reasons already mentioned.
Who owns Suttons Lane since it is a private road? I'm quite happy for it to be left in the condition it is in now since it must deter many from using it.
By the way we got a hand delivered letter from the MCC Executive Committee about this issue on Friday I think (fast response chaps!'>, so I'll be in contact with them. If anybody else wants to their e-mail address is: mcc@peacefield.fsnet.co.uk and website: http://www.marpleccexec.org.uk