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Macclesfield Town Centre Development Update - Feb 08 |
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Macclesfield Town Centre Development Latest News - Feb 08
On 27th February a presentation was given to Macclesfield Civic Society regarding the proposed town centre redevelopment.
It was uninformative about detail which is unlikely to emerge for months - perhaps years. Cyclist images did appear in one or two obscure places; e.g. one was encircling the B&Q roundabout, another bordering the new 'town square'.
The outline planning application; i.e. site boundaries/ generalities etc.; is likely to be submitted in the next 3 months and Bowden Wilson (the developer) hope the go-ahead will be given by November.
Construction is probably not going to begin before 2010 with completion after 2013.
There was much antagonism concerning aims to destroy Dukes Court to accommodate T J Hughes as far away as possible from Debenhams.
MaccBUG will continue to lobby for cycling facilities to be incuded in the final scheme to allow good access to the heart of the town centre.
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Macclesfield Bikeathon 2008 |
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Macclesfield Bikeathon 2008
MaccBUG can reveal that the 4th annual Macclesfield Bikeathon will take place on Sunday 18th May 2008.
The website is now up an running at:
http://www.macclesfieldbikeathon.com/
Last year's event took place on a glorious sunny day with entrants raising money for Marie Curie Cancer Care on several routes (of varying lengths).
This year the charity celebrates its 60th anniversary and will again be the beneficiary.
Chester Bikeathon will be taking place on the 22nd June (website at:http://www.chesterbikeathon.co.uk/)
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AZ Workers Struggle to Get from A to B |
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AZ Workers Struggle to Get from A to B
Astra Zeneca's cycling employees commuting the five miles from Macclesfield to the Alderley Park complex (with 3500 employees) are hoping that their commute can be made safer.
Cyclists have the dubious choice of using the busy A537 or using narrow country lanes with the presence "rat running" cars travelling at considerable speeds. The Hocker Lane stretch would test a decent mountain bike - nevermind a hybrid or tourer.
The matter has been raised at the Macc. Borough Cycle Panel (17/09/07) but there was no indication from Cheshire County Council Highways that measures would/could be taken along the A537 to alleviate the issues. Attendees learned that the situation for cyclists has been investigated in the past but potential solutions were deemed too difficult/expensive to deliver.
Astra Zeneca commuters will continue to seek solutions to this issue.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 09 October 2007 )
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Children in Macc say "Let's Bike" |
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Children in Macc say "Let's Bike"
Macclesfield Express Wednesday July 25, 2007
Bike riding children are on a roll
KIDS at St Barnabas Primary School have spoken up saying: "Let's bike!"A dozen youngsters at the Byrons Lane site are more ready for the road after completing their "Let's Bike" training with the town's police and county hall.
The six-week course provided the children with. tuition on riding safely including traffic discipline, how to turn left and right, how to 'walk' the bike and why it is necessary to wear a safety helmet.They also did "slow racing", when the child coming last wins.
One of the bike-mad youngsters, Joshua Stanway, said: "The slow race was the best bit. We really learned how to control the bikes."
Lisa Barlow, a Police Community Support Officer who helped with the training, said: "We have armed them with the knowledge to use their bikes safely."Now it's up to parents to make sure they always think about safety whenever they go out."Headteacher Helen Smith said: "Let's Bike is an excellent award for our children. They become competent cyclists which makes them safer on the roads."
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 01 March 2008 )
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Bikes on Buses
New MaccBUG member Simon Rice is campaigning to get buses on the Macclesfield to Buxton route 58 to carry bikes via a rack on the back.
This is not unheard of elsewhere and Simon believes it would prove popular in this popular cycling area:
I have tried on a couple of occasions to convince both Cheshire and Derbyshire
councils to fit bike racks to the No.58 bus that runs over the Cat and Fiddle road. I think this would be extremely useful for cyclists especially at weekends.
The route is operated by Bowers of Capel en le Frith.
Why not drop them a line to encourage them to cater for this potential new market?
Bowers, Aspincroft Garage Town End Chapel en le Frith · SK23 0NU.
Telephone, 01298 812204.
UPDATE
David Smith at Bowers Coaches got in touch with a detailed reply to maccBUg's enquiry.
Here is their response:
Thanks for your letter regarding cycle racks and we are sympathetic to the cause. This summer we have actually carried bikes if the buses have been reasonably empty and their owners have phoned in advance, but only up to one or two. You have to appreciate that if a group of ten to twenty cyclists suddenly appeared trying to get on any bus then it would be very difficult to meet their aspirations. Bike racks at their best, attached to the outside of buses at the front as in Los Angeles can only carry up to 2 bikes as do the rear ones operated in Cornwall by my old firm Truronian.As the services we operate are carried out on behalf of either Derbyshire or Cheshire County councils we are effectively employed as mass transit movers of people on their behalf. It may well be that more continuous lobbying of the county councils looking for contract changes for vehicles to include bike racks as part of the specification could help, but it would increase the contract prices which the council tax payer would be paying for and the councils may be reluctant because of this. There is also the design cost of any racks ensuring that the buses will meet construction and use regulations and the question of would the vehicles have to be re-certified as fit for purpose?. Would the revenue we earn pay for the extra costs unless sponsorship of bike racks was achievable by a cycle manufacturer or someone similar? There again lobbying of the bus manufacturers to have racks installed at design stage would go a long way to overcoming weight and construction problems. In the meantime if a few of you want to go up to the cat and Fiddle on the 0930 on a Sunday morning then roll back down the hill at 70mph under your own steam, give us a ring the week before and let us know. We can then warn the driver to expect you. If he has a lot of people wanting to go on that one for walking purposes, they would have to take priority, therefore you may have to accommodate some on the 1030 and meet up at the top of the hill.Hope this has not sounded too defeatist but we are bound by our contract terms and conditions for the people who employ us to carry out the services even though we do try and assist everyone.David SmithBowers Coaches
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 26 August 2007 )
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