In reply to link: I agree the traffic flow has speeded up. I also recognise that the point of shared space is to remove assumptions (especially drivers') about rights of way, so that everyone proceeds more carefully and negotiate rights of way between themselves.
However the concept also relies on the people using it understanding how it should work It works best in community situations where everyone knows the rules. This possibly applies to the Park Lane section, but it doesn't apply to the main road junction where a large number of drivers are encountering it perhaps for the first time, with no warning of what is expected of them.
I only go through there every couple of weeks or so, but I've witnessed several scary moments where drivers have just steamed across because they clearly don't understand what they're meant to do or where they should go. You can't really blame them for that because it's not clearly signposted. I wouldn't care to be on a bike when one of those was coming through. I've also yet to see a pedestrian do anything other than concede right of way to vehicles, just like any other road space.
It's the unpredictability which I find unnerving. As a driver, it took me several visits to begin to understand what route I should be taking, and I've still not entirely clear how I'm expected to behave. I can't rely on other drivers behaving cautiously. Cyclists and pedestrians mostly seem to keep out of the cars' way, rather than sharing the space as equals.
I'm just not convinced that it's a suitable bit of road to turn into shared space. Certainly not without better education - I live in Macclesfield, just down the road, but I've seen no information about the new design or how to tackle it. There is no advance signage to give approaching drivers a bit of warning.