DELAYS to the public inquiry into the Mottram-Tintwistle by-pass will harm the Tameside economy, business leaders have warned.
The hearing has been adjourned indefinitely while the Highways Agency makes its FIFTH attempt to draw up the right plans for the scheme.
The public inquiry started in June last year and was expected to last about 10 weeks.
The controversial proposal has already cost £13.7m of public money - despite not a foot of Tarmac ever being laid. Coun Roy Oldham, leader of Tameside council, is to meet with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Tom Harris to express his concerns and seek assurances about support for the project.
The 3.5-mile by-pass is set to cost £183m and is expected to take thousands of vehicles a day away from village roads on the edge of Tameside.
Paul Kirkham, local manager for Tameside at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: "The delay to the by-pass is very worrying.
"The traffic jams from the M67 roundabout through Mottram are getting worse and worse.
"We fear companies will be put off relocating to Tameside because of these transport problems.
"Also, existing companies who have to send goods along that route are finding it takes longer and longer, which in turn cuts into their profits. We will not let this issue rest. We now intend to lobby the Secretary of State for Transport to urge him to speed up the by-pass inquiry."
A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: "The Agency apologises for the delay but it is vitally important for the inspector and those attending the inquiry to have the most accurate and up-to-date information.
"We are endeavouring to get that information together so that we can press ahead with the inquiry and build a by-pass that will not only alleviate local congestion but aid the business community."
People living in the villages of Mottram, Hollingworth and Tintwistle have begged for the by-pass since the 1970s. Campaign groups have been set up, both supporting and opposing the scheme.
What do you think? Have your say.
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PW, Manchester (22/01/2008 at 07:56)
I have an Ordnance Survey map from 1973, which shows Glossop and the surrounding area. Compare it with a map from today, and you see that urbanisation has grown at least four-fold in that time. Pity the authorities did not expand the road transport network to suit it. They just have the same roads they had then. Just another example of bad planning. The ongoing debate about the bypass is nothing but a farce. The traffic in that area is nothing short of a disgrace, not least from a planner's point of view. One can't help thinking it's part of the insidious masterplan to drive people off the roads, to make room for the Council limousines and the big cars of the rich and privileged?
Mr Angry, Bury (22/01/2008 at 08:55)
alvinlwh (22/01/2008 at 10:47)
Simon (22/01/2008 at 13:13)
Business profit, thats the motivation! - Nothing what so ever to do with helping Mr Angry in Hollingworth.
Stewart Hardy (22/01/2008 at 14:07)
Chris, Irlam (22/01/2008 at 15:59)
John Hall, Tameside (22/01/2008 at 16:40)
As for R.Oldham let me assure you that this individual has one interest
"Money,Money,Money and Ego Ego Ego.
As for Glossop rhetoric why
should you dump another 35,000 -45,000 vehicles onto 47,000 Tamesiders in Denton/Audenshaw where they already suffer 220,000 dailt traffic volumes as close as
70 metres at Junction24 M60
the already most congested interchange in Greater Manchester.
How about diverting all the HGV`s from the M1 through Glossop,now that would get up your nose,so why shunt the vast increases up our noses,other than just being bloody selfish.
Today I travelled along the M67 at 9.55 am no traffric encountered from the M67 to Mottram,straight through Mottram,down Mottram Moor with 5 vehicles ahead all the way,and onto Glossop with not one holdup.Mottram Moor had 12 vehicles including 4 HGV`s climbinmg up Mottram Moor to Mottram full stop.
Yes Yes Yes Tinwistle,Hollingworth need help and the reality is an HGV ban shunting them onto the M62 already built for them and some route restraint measures on the A628 would be a practical solution to redeuce "single lane,slow moving traffic" unlike the 23 lanes of funnelled traffic we get at Junction24 M60.
Just do your research for the facts instead of the spouting the Council Leaders rhetoric for which he is so
well known for as bull----
Kev9, Tameside (23/01/2008 at 08:45)
I live in Mottram and regularly use Back (and Mottram) Moor, Market Street and the Woodhead to get to Yorkshire - and the traffic isn't all that bad actually.
Lorries can't manoeuvre past parked cars in Market Street, Hollingworth, and they do slow everything down over the Woodhead, but it's no worse congestion or volume of traffic than in many other areas of the North West.
A simple and cheap HGV-ban would vastly reduce what congestion there is by sending big business' juggernauts over the longer, but just as quick route of the M62-M1.
Maybe non-locals should use the A57 and A628 regularly before passing comment. Or logon to Wikipedia - and see the official forecasts of massively increased traffic and pollution the hugely-expensive and short-termist bypass will actually bring ... and at such a cost to a beautiful landscape which should be preserved for our grand-children and their grand-children.
Simon (23/01/2008 at 09:22)