Gareth Jones

Macclesfield Conservatives

THE Broken Cross roundabout is a major intersection for our town.

Any changes to the roundabout, or roadworks on surrounding roads, would always cause major travel headaches.

So it is perhaps surprising just how ill-prepared Cheshire East Council were and how poorly they have communicated with local residents and businesses, both in the lead up to, and at the

start of the works.

The roadworks are a consequence of the Chelford Road development, which I and many local residents opposed and fought against.

Somehow, an outline planning permission with vague proposals about the roundabout have this year morphed into a full planning permission.

Labour/Independentrun Cheshire East claims these proposals were widely and publicly

consulted upon, though no one I know remembers this being the case.

The s278 agreement – which sets out the specifics of what is being done, how and when – was negotiated and signed under the current administration.

It remains secret, despite promises at a recent public meeting that it would be published.

We do know that it doesn’t take into account the air quality

impacts of the roadworks and of the proposed new layout, despite the roundabout being an air quality management area.

Meanwhile, as the disruption continues, and local Labour councillors continue to act as if they are in opposition, and not actually running the council.

The roadworks are due to be completed early next year, but the likely impact on traffic flows, on air quality, and

on local businesses, will be with us for years to come.

It’s no wonder that

many of us feel so angry about how Cheshire East Council has ‘managed’ this process.