Residents split over new zebra crossing in Marple Bridge
Away from the hustle and bustle of Stockport town centre, Marple Bridge offers a sense of quiet on the edge of Greater Manchester.
Families choose to live in the semi-rural village for its access to the Peak District and slower pace of life from some of the urban centres in the region.
But in the past few months an issue has left the community divided.
Much of the traffic in Marple Bridge filters through Compstall Road to get into other parts of Stockport or onto the M60.
The road is busy most times of the day, and locals say rush hour is a nightmare.
It is also a place where people go to visit local shops such as Lofthouse Butchers and Portland Wine.
Stockport Council's plans to improve safety on the road have split opinions in Marple Bridge.
The town hall is planning to put a new Zebra crossing on Compstall Road near the junction of Cote Green Lane, with zig zag lines around it.
Funded by the government's City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, the plan would also mean a bus stop being relocated further ahead of the crossing, and moving some of the existing parking bays outside the Portland Wines shop.
The aim of changes are to make it easier and safer for people to access bus stops and use public transport in the borough.
The proposals were given the green light at the Marple Area Committee last summer after a consultation found 78 percent of respondents agreed with the plans.
Then in October 2024, the council's cabinet member for highways gave approval for the changes, and the town hall has advertised the planned traffic regulations on its website.
Cllr Steve Gribbon, who represents the Marple North ward, said the scheme has been designed with safety in mind after several "near misses" on the road due to speeding cars.
Just a few weeks ago, Cllr Gribbon shared on his Facebook page that a collision happened on the road which emergency services attended, almost exactly in the spot where the new crossing will be.
He added that there is support for the plan, with a petition signed by 60 Compstall Road residents in favour of the scheme having been submitted to Stockport council.
But other residents say the proposals need a rethink.
Caroline Greenough, 46, lives on Compstall Road and said the bus stop would be moved outside her home under the plans.
She worries about the noise impact on her three children, and the potential for accidents if cars try to overtake the bus while people are using the Zebra crossing.
"My front door is two or three steps from the road so that bus is pulling up on my doorstep and they are going to take away all the parking from there," Caroline said.
"I'm just surprised that they think this is safe. I think it will cause an accident and someone will get hurt. It's just in the wrong place"
Sally Maltby, 83, also shared concerns about the safety of the design.
She added: "I think it's vital to have a crossing, but moving the bus stop that direction is a mistake.
"There's a brow on the road so cars are coming up the hill blind. It's a dangerous road, cars come down here too fast. I've lost my wing mirror twice while parking on the road [hit by other cars]."
Businesses on Compstall Road said the issue has been the talk of the village in the past few weeks.
Andy Crofts, 53, works at Portland Wine and said moving the parking bays outside the shop could hurt trade.
He said: "It's not a bad idea itself, but it will cause a lot of problems for the businesses and people living here.
"We have two parking spaces which will go. But if you want to buy a load of wine you will drive.
"This will cause a serious downturn in the business. I also don't know how we'll get our deliveries."
Bob Lofthouse, 60, owner of Lofthouse Butchers on Compstall Road, said: "It won't affect us as much but I know some people have been up in arms about it.
"I would have thought traffic calming measures would be better, like a camera or lower speed limit. This road is dangerous, sometimes I see bikes going 60 or 70 miles an hour."
Some locals feel they did not have enough notice when the plans were discussed at the Marple Area Committee last July.
Meeting agendas are generally published a week in advance, but some residents said they would have liked to have more time to share their feedback before councillors voted to recommend the plans for approval.
Zeki Al-Khishali, 33, is a driving instructor who lives on Compstall Road.
He said: "We didn't feel that the council had spoken to a range of people in the area. Most people here just want a lower speed limit on the road. We don't disagree with a crossing, it's just this location."
Zeki also shared fears about being able to park his car on his own driveway.
The plans would introduce new zig zag lines near the new Zebra crossing – prohibiting cars from stopping there.
But Zeki says he needs to stop at this point on the road to reverse his car onto his property.
"It's putting me in a situation where I need to break the law to put my car in my driveway," he added.
An online petition organised by Zeki had a total of 97 respondents and found that most people disagreed with the location of the crossing.
Cllr Gribbon said he is "very hopeful" that the crossing will help reduce speeding cars and could stop someone from being hurt in an accident in future, especially with a number of children regularly crossing the road.
He added: "It's a road that has got the most complaints about speeding on it, where there are a lot of people crossing the road, kids coming home from school and trying to get across the road to the Cote Green estate.
"This is not about upsetting residents, it's about having a safe passage for them on a dark Thursday night when they try to get across, when it can be difficult.
"We're trying to protect our residents. We've had so many calls about near misses on that road, and because of that it's made us want to do something about it.
"We don't ever want to see someone knocked down, this is about safety, but we also want to work with local residents and businesses on it.
"What will happen is that for the first time ever there will be a safe passage across one of the roads in our borough which has had a large amount of residents expressing concerns about vehicle speeds and the inability to safely cross.
"I do not want this to be the end of the matter, I want to look at what can be done once the bedding in has happened and what feedback is given for other measures if appropriate."
Cllr Grace Baynham, Stockport council's cabinet member for parks, highways and transport services, said: "We have been in ongoing discussions with ward members and residents regarding the creation of a Zebra Crossing on Compstall Road, north of the junction with Edward Street.
"This would address a long-standing request from residents for safety improvements for pedestrians and school children and improved access for bus passengers boarding or alighting at stops on Compstall Road.
"The public consultation showed a high level of support, with 78pc of respondents supporting the crossing, including 66pc who strongly agreed with the proposals.
"We considered alternative locations between Ernocroft Road and Glossop Road, but after a thorough review, no suitable alternatives were identified due to narrow footpaths and lack of visibility.
"We understand how important it is that residents can safely use their driveways and if it is safe to do so, vehicles can stop temporarily on the zig-zags or the crossing itself to reverse onto their driveways.
"This crossing will help to improve safety and accessibility for both pedestrians and public transport users on Compstall Road and we are committed to delivering these enhancements to address community concerns and create safer, more inclusive streets for everyone."
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