Walk to School Event

Two groups set off for the two primary schools on Thursday 21st May 2026. One group from the Cottons accompanied by Cllrs Chris Jackson and Alan Watkinson of the Parish Council, staff from Holmes Chapel Primary School and a member of the Fire Brigade. They walked through the Lakes estate and then across Chester Road (the dangerous bit!) More families joined en route.

One group from Brooklands accompanied by Diane Tams, Chair of the Parish Council, Adam Young, head of The Hermitage Primary School and a member of the Fire Brigade. They walked along Manor Lane and gathered more families, then Macclesfield Road which they had to cross to get to the school (the dangerous bit!) However on this special morning we had the Fire Brigade to see us across!

This is what we are asking for:

In general: we campaign for improved footpaths and a better walking environment

around our village.

And in particular A pedestrian crossing over Macclesfield Road to get from the Victoria

Mills Estate and from the housing east of the railway bridge to get to The Hermitage

Primary School. We prepared a formal request backed by a dossier prepared according

to Cheshire East Council’s own Crossing Strategy criteria and submitted it at the end of

January 2026.

In June 2021 in an article in The Sandbach Chronicle entitled Developer will contribute to road safety measures .....

Councillor Mick Warren, CE Chair of Environment said of Anwyl, the development

company which built Victoria Mills:

A sum of £25,000 has been secured by way of a travel plan and can be used towards

the funding of some of some highway improvement works, for example upgrading

pedestrian facilities and bus stops.

Guess what! We got the bus stops! A couple of signs and some road markings and the money was all used up.

We completed our dossier of evidence which addresses the criteria in Cheshire

East Council’s Crossing Strategy and submitted a formal request to Highways

for a crossing on Macclesfield Road. We crossed our fingers for a positive

response!

This was the response we got from the Cheshire East Highways Team

In response to your request for a pedestrian crossing on Macclesfield Road,

Holmes Chapel, we will arrange for an assessment to be undertaken (1).

Following this review a site visit may be undertaken that will allow us to review

current conditions, pedestrian activity, and potential options for improving

safety. Should the assessment indicate that a formal pedestrian crossing is

justified, the scheme will be considered within our local transport programme,

subject to funding and prioritisation against other needs across the network.

As you may be aware, we are currently progressing a scheme of road safety

measures in Holmes Chapel, including the introduction of a 20 mph speed limit

and associated traffic calming features on London Road (2), as well as early

consideration of a controlled pedestrian crossing north of the mini roundabouts.

(3) Your request for Macclesfield Road will be considered alongside these wider

interventions to ensure a coordinated approach to improving pedestrian safety

throughout the village. (4)

1 This letter was sent on January 29th 2026. It is now June 2026 and no

arrangements for an assessment have been undertaken so far.

2 This work is being undertaken at the beginning of August 2026.

3 This proposal came as a surprise to the Parish Council. The campaign of

Holmes Chapel Partnership for a pedestrian crossing on Macclesfield Road has,

however, the full support of the Parish Council.

4 Does this mean that if Cheshire East install a crossing north of the mini

roundabouts that a crossing on Macclesfield will not be necessary???