Car park exit plan ‘takes the biscuit’ say residents
HUNDREDS of residents have signed a petition and even produced their own traffic survey in a bid to stop Stockport McVitie’s creating an extra exit from its car park.
The biscuit giant, based in Heaton Chapel, already has a vehicle entry and exit point on the A6 Manchester Road.
But it sent leaflets to homes in the area stating it would like an additional exit on Chandos Road, which is on the opposite side of the factory, as workers find it difficult to drive out onto the busy A6.
Residents though are against the idea, saying it will increase traffic on their roads and be of little benefit to staff as they will have to eventually try and get onto Manchester Road anyway.
Among those against the idea is Jean Johnson, who lives on Chandos Road and said: “We feel it will be the thin end of the wedge.
“We are told it will be just be for staff to arrive and leave but once cars use it twice a day then it may well become any time then maybe HGVs.
“There would be a high volume of traffic, noise, pollution and there is a Guides hut that would be used at one of the main exit times.
“We don’t want to cast McVitie’s as the bad guy as it has told us about the plans but it would be quite disruptive to a lot of people and we’re not convinced of the benefit to employees, who will have to get on to the A6 at some point anyway.”
McVitie’s, which is owned by confectionery giant Pladis Global, runs two 12-hour shifts, finishing at 7am and 7pm.
Jean has surveyed its Manchester Road exit/ entrance at these times and says the most amount of cars she saw backed up at one time is six.
And of these the back one only had to wait just over a minute before getting out onto the A6.
An online petition set up to object to the proposals attracted 300 signatures in its first day.
McVitie’s held an open evening on Wednesday to allow residents to find out more about the plans.
A spokesman for the company said: “It’s a busy site with over 500 employees operating 24/7, so to make it safer and easier for our employees to access, we are proposing to reopen a second gate.
“This would be an exitonly gate, restricted to personal cars. Trucks and other vehicles would not use it.
“Consultations are taking place with the community and council.”