Plans for Cheshire East Council to remove a crossing which "interfered" with traffic movement and caused "undue delay" in Alsager town centre have been supported by the town council.

At an Alsager Town Council meeting of Planning, Environment and Community Committee earlier this month, councillors discussed plans from Cheshire East to remove the pelican crossing on Lawton Road by the Bank Corner.

Councillors were circulated a letter by Jason Hole, a senior traffic signals engineer at Ringway Jacobs as Cheshire East Highways, which explained that the controller which operates the pelican crossing on Lawton Road between the Crewe Road and the Asda junctions had "failed".

Mr Hole said: "Due to its age we are having great difficulty finding a replacement part.

"As you are probably aware one of our 'schemes' for this year's traffic signals programme is the design and costing of a refurbishment scheme for the Crewe Road/Sandbach Road junction."

Over the last few years, Cheshire East have had a number of enquiries, including from Alsager Town Council, asking for the removal of the crossing.

Mr Hole claimed the crossing "interfered" with traffic movement and caused "undue delay", especially as there are two other crossing points within 50 metres.

As part of the design, Cheshire East are planning to investigate the removal of the crossing "altogether" linking the operation of the two junctions to "better control traffic and pedestrian movements".

Mr Hole has spoken with Paul Davies (Contract Operations Manager for Cheshire East Highways) and they felt that this would be a "good time" to gauge opinion as to the crossing's removal.

Mr Hole continued: "We do recognise that there will be a slight discomfort to pedestrians as they may need to walk slightly further to the next crossing point and may have to wait slightly longer for the green man to appear.

"However, the removal of the crossing should assist with the flow of traffic along the B5077, reducing delays and queues between the junction and so improving air quality."

Cheshire East welcomed comments upon their proposal to remove the crossing altogether from Alsager Town Council.

In the meantime, Cheshire East's supply chain partner is continuing to find the spare part.

Mr Hole concluded: "If they cannot acquire one then we will need to replace the controller with a new one which will take some time as, due to the effects of Covid, there is currently a three to four month order period."

Speaking at a planning committee, Cllr Rod Fletcher stated that Alsager Town Council had asked for the crossing to be removed twice and proposed that they continued with its policy to ask for the middle crossing to be removed "as soon as possible".

The chair of Alsager Town Council added: "We have finally got an opportunity to have this middle crossing removed, only because Cheshire East cannot find the parts to repair it, but nevertheless we should consider this as a win.

Cllr Alison Nayling was in favour of the crossing being removed, but she highlighted the "timing issue" on the other pedestrian crossings on Lawton Road also needed to be resolved.

The Labour councillor added: "As a pedestrian, I do notice that a lot of elderly people and people with young children tend to use that one because it allows you more time to get across the narrower crossing.

"And in until the timing is resolved, the people who are vulnerable and can get across the road safely, I do not think it should be taken out."

Cllr Michael Unett queried whether parts of the crossing, which could potentially be removed, could be repurposed in another location like Sandbach Road North, near Alsager School or Sandbach Road South near the health centre.

Cllr Sue Helliwell told the committee she would not be supporting the motion because residents were still trying to cross the road even though signage is in place telling them the crossing is not in use.

Cllr Phil Williams felt there was an "opportunity" to support the removal of the crossing and to "push" Cheshire East on the issue of the sequencing and timing of the other crossings in the town centre.

The ward councillor added: "People are only continuing to use the crossing because it is still there, if it was removed, they wouldn't and that would deal with that."

The Liberal Democrat councillor proposed: "I would very strongly urge us to bite their [Cheshire East] hand off on this, but to push for a review of the synchronisation and sequencing of the other crossings."

Councillors supported Cllr Williams' proposal.