A Macclesfield man has launched a petition to make the area around West Park safer for pedestrians.

Financial Services worker Simeon Livesey currently has 40 signatures on his petition to make our streets safer.

He will aim to send the petition to our councils once he reaches 100 signatures on the Change.org page.

Macclesfield Nub News spoke to Simeon, who lives close to West Park on Victoria Road.

"During lockdown me, my girlfriend and our dog started running, cycling and walking in the area a lot more than we used to, which completely changed our experience of the roads," said Simeon.

"Prior to that we mainly used them for car journeys. It just gave us a completely different perspective of how dangerous the roads can be for those sorts of users.

"It was an eye-opener walking to the park every day in lockdown to get some respite, and seeing cars speeding up at roundabouts close to where we had started to cross.

"We saw cars not stopping at crossing when lights are on red. Just general kind of speeding and zipping through that area. That was the change really, experiencing it as a pedestrian and a runner and thinking this is not safe."

Simeon has had a few near misses with cars taking corners too fast, but some Facebook users have even revealed they've been knocked off their bikes by cars in the area.

In the area the petition and Simeon would like to see be made safer, Macclesfield residents have access to lots of community amenities.

There is West Park, West Park Museum, two nurseries, a care home, a hospital, a crematorium and the main walking route from that part of Macclesfield into the town centre.

Simeon's message is to try and implement two simple changes, through his petition.

"I think it could be made safer by reducing the speed in that area to 20mph, at the moment it is 30 and there are cars definitely doing 40 in that area," he added.

"So if we reduce it to 20, I'm aware cars might go faster but even if they are doing 30 instead of 40 it will be a safer place for everyone.

"And I'd also like to propose more crossings in locations where people need them. Not where it is convenient for car users to have crossings. The whole infrastructure of that area is built for cars, and there needs to be a lot more crossings.

"My view is, the council has declared a climate emergency, it is right to get more people out walking. It's good for the environment - and mental health - but the infrastructure to encourage more people to do it isn't there at the moment."

The roads Simeon would like to see made safer include Victoria Road, where the hospital is situated.

It also includes Prestbury Road, where roundabouts and the Crematorium entrance to West Park is.

"If there was a safer zone around the hospital and the park it is going to encourage more people to get out, including vulnerable people or older people," he concluded.

"Those roads are quite challenging and dangerous so my hope is more people will use these community spaces if it's safer for them to go out and do it.

"As a result, people will start walking into town instead of driving into town. We need to re-imagine those routes, pavements and crossings for new groups of people that the government are encouraging to walk, cycle and run.

"I'd like to get to 100 Signatures. It is a critical number where people in elected positions will start to realise that there's a demand there and maybe to start listening more. That would be ideal."

Simeon, who is also a car user, states he has received a negative response thus far from Cheshire East Council.

Macclesfield Nub News has contacted the council for comment.

You can find Simeon's petition by searching 'Make area around West Park / Crematorium / Hospital / Nursery safer for pedestrians'.

You can also find it here.

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