Macclesfield Forest - 'Quiet Lanes' Scheme, the first in
Cheshire.
This pioneering project to help
protect the unique character of Macclesfield Forest which cost
£60,000 to implement centres on the Sutton and Langley
areas of the Forest by improving the way walkers, cyclists and
horse riders share the roads with motorists.
The scheme included -
- distinctive Quiet Lane signs at the entry points of eight
locations which form the network.
- Quiet Lanes village name signs in Langley.
- reminder signing on rural lanes.
- temporary signing to raise awareness of Quiet Lanes
- general improvements to
Trentabank Road and
Heathcote Lane.
Quiet Lanes Initiative
The Quiet Lanes initiative (developed by the
Countryside Agency) aims to preserve the character of country
lanes and encourage walkers, cyclists, horse-riders and motorised
vehicles to 'Share with Care'. Visit the
Department for Transport's Quiet Lanes website for more
information.
Traffic on country lanes continues to
grow. This has an impact on the character and tranquillity of the
countryside. Through Quiet Lanes we can plan to:
- Preserve and enhance the quiet country lanes we still have
today
- Encourage walkers, cyclists, horse-riders and motorised
vehicles to 'Share with Care'
- Provide more choice for local people to get to the shop,
school, bus stop or just to enjoy the countryside
What are
Quiet Lanes? | Quiet Lanes
will... | Quiet Lanes will
not... | Achieving Quiet
Lanes | Quiet Lanes in East
Cheshire
What are Quiet Lanes?
Quiet Lanes are minor rural roads, which are suitable for
walkers, cyclists and horse-riders to share with motorised
vehicles. They should have a rural character with low traffic flows
and speeds. Quiet Lanes designation with help to preserve the
character of these minor rural roads and encourage everyone to use
them more safely.
Cheshire East Council’s Quiet Lane Project aims to:
- Identify, design and implement Quiet Lanes in partnership with
local people
- Encourage community consultation and participation
- Their success depends upon the ownership of the concept by the
local community and visitors, and their enthusiasm
Quiet Lanes will...
- Maintain vehicle access to businesses, farms and homes
- Help to provide more attractive routes for walkers, cyclists
and horse-riders
- Link together people’s homes with places they want to
visit
- Help to connect footpaths and bridleways
- Be developed over an area to form a Quiet Lanes network
Quiet Lanes will not...
- Calm traffic on busy roads
- Reduce the volume of traffic taking short cuts
- Reduce the number or speed of heavy vehicles
- Be effective on individual isolated roads
Achieving Quiet Lanes
Quiet Lanes will be selected using local knowledge and
consultation. However, they should have many of the following
characteristics:
- Rural appearance
- Narrow and winding
- Already quiet with light traffic and low speeds
- Used by walkers, cyclist or horse-riders
Quiet Lanes will be achieved through:
- Changing how we drive and use country lanes through a Share
with Care campaign
- Managing the signing through an area to help direct traffic
onto the main roads
- Using Quiet Lanes signs and other rural traffic measures to
help highlight the status of Quiet Lanes
Standard engineering measures could be used on busier roads and
footpaths and bridleways could be considered to help link together
Quiet Lanes. Also a range of rural traffic measures have been
suggested, designed to fit their rural character:
- Gateways to Quiet Lanes
- Quiet Lanes repeater signs, traditional fingerpost signing and
improved signs on footpath and bridleways
- Narrowing of wide junctions
- Pavements along busy roads
- Better surfaces and drainage on footpaths and bridleways
- False cattle grids
- ‘Visual’ road narrowing to help reduce traffic flows and
speeds
- Better car and cycle parking
- Refuges and passing places
- Enhanced verge maintenance for wildlife
- Agree level of maintenance by The Council
- Continued publicity, consultation and monitoring
- Download
the Quiet Lanes Executive Summary (PDF, 156KB)
Quiet Lanes in Cheshire
Macclesfield Forest
Following are links for related information about the
Macclesfield Forest Quiet Lanes Scheme: