Roundabout lights set to be approved
CONTROVERSIAL plans to introduce traffic lights to a heavily polluted roundabout have been recommended for approval.
The proposals are part of a wider application to build 232 homes close to the Cock Inn pub, on Chelford Road.
But residents and councillors are concerned about the impact on the level of congestion and pollution in the area, which has already been identified as pollution hotspot.
Highways officials say introducing traffic lights to Broken Cross roundabout will ease congestion, and have recommended the planning application be approved at the Strategic Planning Committee next week.
A report, published by Highways, states the impact of the traffic lights has been assessed and is in line with requirements of such a development.
It said: “The results show that the junction would be operating slightly over capacity in the morning but within capacity in the evening.
“As developments are required only to mitigate the effects of their own impact, the proposed improvement does more than provide capacity benefits to the junction and does also allow capacity for other development traffic.”
It concluded: “Therefore, the proposals are considered acceptable subject to a S106 Agreement to provide a financial contribution to off-site mitigation works.”
But Councillor Nick Mannion, who represents Macclesfield West and Ivy, says more needs to be done to decrease the level of pollution at Broken Cross, which was designated as an ‘air quality management area’ by the council after investigations discovered the levels of pollution are higher than government limits.
He said: “I am very disappointed. I have not seen any evidence of how the changes to the roundabout are going to contribute to reducing the high unlawful levels of air pollution at Broken Cross. Also, even the most optimistic interpretation of the data says there will an increase in congestion at peak times at Broken Cross even with the new traffic lights.
“Therefore this is not the answer and a proper long term solution to the problem needs to be found, rather than a short terms fix which merely kicks the can further down the road which will result in residents and business suffering in the long term.”
Plans are set to be discussed at the Strategic Planning Committee on Wednesday, March 28.