Police plan for festival traffic

A BIG police operation to help keep traffic on the move during the Creamfields music festival at Daresbury swung into action today – and is continuing over the bank holiday weekend.
Thousands of music fans from all over the North West are expected to descent on Daresbury and lengthy hold-ups are expected on local roads.
Police have had in depth discussions with the Highways Agency, Warrington and Halton councils and the organisers of the event to produce a detailed traffic management plan.
It has been expanded from the one used last year to take in account the fact that it is a two-day event with camping on site.
Around 800 staff will be involved in the policing of the event. These will include Police Officers, Police Community Support Officers, members of the Special Constabulary and police staff. Many of these will be responsible for implementing the traffic management .
The plan has been designed to ensure ticketholders can access and leave the site efficiently – by the most appropriate routes. Organisers say that around 70 per cent of people who have bought tickets in advance have booked to camp overnight.
Police say they hope to minimise traffic problems – particularly for the benefit of local residents who will need to maintain access to their homes and businesses.
Organisers have made special security gates available to householders to ensure fans do not trespass on their land.
Drivers are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys and to be alert as the roads will be busier than normal. They have also been advised to tune into local radio stations for updates if the roads are congested.
Festival goers were sent a leaflet containing important traffic information when they were sent their tickets.
They have been advised to allow plenty of time for their journey, to follow the designated routes as road closures will be in place and not to rely on their sat navs – as traffic signs will point them in the right direction as they get nearer to the site. Drivers are being urged to use junctions 11 and 12 of the M56.
There will be two main car parks available to ticket holders at the site – one will be for day ticket holders and the other will be for those who are camping on the site over the weekend. People driving to Creamfields and wanting to park are asked to use the correct car park.
The car parks will be open from 9am today.
The following local roads will have partial closures on them – but residents will still be able to gain access to their homes.
Warrington Road will have partial closures at both ends, Daresbury Lane will be closed after the south car park and Delph Lane will also have partial closures on it.
There will be no left turn off the A49 at the Cat and Lion into Hatton Lane and Keckwick Lane will be closed completely.
There will also be a partial closure off the A56 Chester Road at the junction with Newton Lane. At this junction drivers will be able to turn right into Newton Lane but will be unable to turn left towards Daresbury village.
Access will be maintained on these roads at all times for local residents.
Shuttle bus services will be running throughout the weekend from Liverpool, Manchester, Warrington, Widnes and Runcorn and festival goers are being encouraged to make use of these services.
To find out more about the policing of the event log onto the dedicated Creamfields section of Cheshire Police’s website at www.cheshire.police.uk
Warrington Borough Council has announced plans to impose restrictions on some roads.
A 20 miles-per-hour speed limit will be introduced on the A56 Chester Road from the borough boundary with Halton to Park Lane junction and to old Chester Road and Runcorn Road junctions.
There will also be temporary one-way orders introduced on Pillmoss Lane, Daresbury Lane, Holly Hedge Lane, Hobb Lane, Hatton Lane, Newton Lane, Old Chester Road, Park Lane, Warrington Road, and Underbridge Lane.
A number of footpaths in the area will also be closed to the public from today.