BIG PICTURE
PETER Spencer (letters page April 7) claims the £5m to be spent on the Park Lane/Oxford Road junction is ‘absolutely ridiculous’ because it will only resolve one problem, and has ‘little or no value’ to the local community.
As a member of the local community I have long personal experience of using this busy junction.
There are frequent delays to traffic on Park Lane and Ivy Lane because right-turning traffic tends to block the roads.
It can take three or four cycles to get through these lights at peak times.
And speaking of cycles, the junction has already claimed the life of one two-wheeled user.
It is dangerous and badly laid out and is long overdue for improvement.
The value to the local community, and to the many people who use the Learning Zone site, is clear.
For sure, potholes are a problem, but that does not take anything away from the need for these junction improvements. John Carradine,
Ivy Lane,
Macclesfield
MAJESTIC MEMORIES
ME AND my wife were reminiscing about the Majestic cinema that used to be in Macclesfield.
There are very few photos of it on the internet.
It might make a great article for your paper, the history etc of it and the sad closing of it.
We thought you could put an article in the paper first asking for the readers to send you any pictures they may of it,
I’m sure people in Macc must have old pics that they could send in? (To do so email macclesfieldexpress@ menmedia.co.uk).
Mark Denovan, via email
DEMOCRACY IS CASUALTY
NOW we know the truth.
Councillor James Nicholas campaigned and was even one of the prime architects to organise a petition for removal of the cabinet system and replace it with a committee system.
A petition which he said had received thousands of signatures.
He stated: “We are launching a petition to call for a more open, transparent and democratic-led committee system.
“This would mean that all councillors are involved in the important decisions, not just a few select members of cabinet.”
So, after two years of deliberation, his leadership of the constitution committee yesterday revealed their plan.
The opening statement (from the officers) admitted this is an unfinished report – at best this is the version that the electorate should have seen two years ago.
This constitution has more holes than a colander with hundreds of revisions required before it can be properly considered.
The decision to defer presentation to full council was the only sensible decision in a seven-hour meeting that was shambolic and deserves a slot on YouTube.
Indeed democracy is the only casualty of this report as meetings and question times have been reduced by 33 per cent.
The voice of the residents has been heard and this Labour/ Independent leadership do not want to hear it anymore it seems.
Coun Mike Beanland, Conservative,
Poynton West and Adlington
MOTORWAYS NOT SO SMART
I READ an article in the Mail regarding smart motorways and the lucky escape a driver had on one.
I was shocked to read that the driver was on the phone ‘talking to the lads’.
He should have been out of the van and on the other side of the barrier as quickly as possible.
But what if he was incapable of getting over the barrier if there was one. A disability, age, any number of reasons could stop people from doing so.
My suggestion would be every 400-500 yards between refuges, have a split in the Armco, similar to the ones on dual carriageways where footpaths cross the road, painted in a bright colour and reflective.
Then, in the event of a breakdown, you could walk a shortish way to get on the other side of the barrier.
Even if you couldn’t climb the barrier, anything would be preferable to sitting there waiting to be hit.
Finally, is Mr Shapps in charge, or do Highways England do as they please?
Get a grip Mr Shapps before more people are killed. Better still, scrap ‘smart motorways’ altogether.
D Belfield, via email
THE latest plans for new homes in Macclesfield have seen 45 proposed for what is currently countryside in Gawsworth. But road safety fears have been raised as well as concerns over the loss of open space. Here’s what you’ve had to say:
Ted Wolfe: Are they trying to turn Macclesfield from a town into a city? The planners are gobbling up prime land faster than Usain Bolt ran the 100 metres. Can our water supply support such ever growing numbers? Can our hospital cope? All the planners ever seem to want to do is sell off land for more and more housing but our town centre is pretty dilapidated.
Michelle Moseley: As an alternative, they need to consider converting unused office space for living accommodation, now that more people are working from home and are likely to be doing so in the future.
Patricia Davies: More wildlife habitat lost. Since I was a child I have noticed every year less butterflies, less house flies even. Bees a rarity. Who remembers the cuckoo, every year. Never now.
Stephen McDermott: Here come the ‘not in my back yard’ brigade.