You may have received a notice recently sent out by the Department for Transport to householders regarding their decision to abandon the Public Inquiry into the Mottram to Tintwistle Bypass. You should note that whilst this was a formal legal notice, it does not mean that the proposal to alleviate the problems in the villages of Longendale is dead.
As a leader of the
Council, I consider the content of the letter to be misleading and extremely
disappointing. There is no reference to the latest decision of the Greater
Manchester Authorities, the North West Region and Tameside Council, who have
collectively agreed to identify £100 million for the delivery of an
alternative scheme with an early start date.
For years this Council, our MPs and the general public have been promised a solution to the unacceptable traffic problems in this area. Whilst mistakes by the Highways Agency have caused the latest proposal to fail at the Inquiry, this Council will not rest until a solution is found. It is therefore our intention that the new project will be delivered by Tameside Council.
We intend not only to introduce a scheme that will deal with the major traffic problems but also address problems experienced by the Glossop Traffic. In addition, a series of traffic calming elements will be introduced and we will press for a weight restriction on the A628 to prevent HGVs using the roads through our Longendale villages.
It is our intention to fast track these alternatives and to get on with it. Alternative proposals will begin to emerge over the coming months which will subsequently be the subject of public consultation. We will of course keep you informed of the progress we are making.
Councillor SR Oldham
Executive Leader of the Council