Northwich News
Townsfolk petition against new Northwich town centre one-way system
10:30am Wednesday 8th February 2012
FRUSTRATED motorists have set up a petition against Northwich’s controversial new one-way system.
The gyratory through the town centre started on January 29 for an 18-month trial but residents and businesses are already calling for it to be scrapped.
Northwich man Ian Gibbons, 28, set up the online petition on Saturday.
“This isn’t the sort of thing I would normally involve myself with but there seems to have been no warning about it for anyone and I can’t see any sense in it – it’s causing chaos.”
Northwich Town Council discussed the gyratory at their meeting on Monday after receiving a plea for help from Northwich Fireplace Centre.
Owner Paul Harris said the one-way system was making it almost impossible for potential customers to access the showroom, located in the Bull Ring, and the company had seen a dramatic loss in trade, with sales down 60 per cent on this time last year.
Clr Paul Dolan said: “I’ve been approached over the weekend by a number of residents concerned by the one-way traffic flow.
“There was a minor accident on Thursday night, which may or may not be related, and on Saturday there was what amounted to gridlock in the town centre – I understand the police had to get involved to unblock it.”
He said that Cheshire West and Chester Council’s (CWAC) highways department were having a feedback meeting about the system on February 13 and a two-month review was also in the pipeline.
For more information, ring CWAC’s highways team on 0300 123 7036.
For more information about the petition visit ipetitions.com/petition/scrap-the-new-northwich-one-way-system/signatures.