Villages brace themselves for traffic chaos

VILLAGES south of the Manchester Ship Canal at Warrington are bracing themselves for traffic chaos arising from increased opening and closing of swing bridges as a result of an increase in shipping.
Stockton Heath is likely to be most seriously hit, but Grappenhall, Thelwall, Appleton and Walton are also likely to be affected.
Peel Ports, who own the canal, plan to increase shipping as part of its Mersey Ports Master Plan.
Talks have taken place between the company, borough councils and local MPs over efforts to minimise the impact on road traffic.
But parish councils have had little opportunity for input.
The A49, A50, the A56 are all carried over the canal by swing bridges in the Warrington area and it is claimed that traffic conditions can take several hours to get back to normal after a ship has passed along the canal.
Over the last 12-18 months, the number of ships using the canal at peak periods has increased by 40 per cent – despite Peel Ports claiming it would do all it could to minimise canal traffic at peak periods.
Cllr Celia Jordan expressed concern at a meeting of Stockton Heath Parish Council.
She suggested setting up a joint committee with other parish councils to deal with the issue.
Cllr Tudor Pole said it only logical that the more successful Peel Ports were in shipping containers up the canal, the more the bridges would open and close.
He said: “The Parish Council may not have a powerful voice at present but it soon would have if life in the village was affected and the media became involved.”
The council is to call for regular updates from Peel Ports and Warrington Borough Council.
Warrington Borough Council is urging the canal company to limit the number of peak hour sailings to 100-a-year or below.
They also want the swing bridges modernised so they can swing faster and cause less disruption.