The town with a solution to their traffic problem

Littleborough is a picturesque town on the edge of Greater Manchester with stunning views of the Pennines and a tranquil lake. There is just one problem – traffic.

Littleborough is a picturesque town on the edge of Greater Manchester with stunning views of the Pennines and a tranquil lake. There is just one problem – traffic.

Ask anyone who commutes in and out of the Rochdalian town and they’ll tell you it’s nightmarish on the roads. The only saving grace for commuters is the railway station, offering a speedy train to Manchester in 20 minutes or to Leeds in an hour.

For decades locals have been crying out for the A58 relief road – it’s seen as the grand solution to the traffic problem.

Local councillors from both Labour and Conservatives, as well as Rochdale MP Paul Waugh, have been leading the charge in tackling the bumper to bumper queues.

Not only is the pesky traffic a nuisance, it’s also costing local businesses. A recent research study found that the congested road network cost the local economy around £1m over the course of just 14 days.

Naturally, the long-term vision is to build the long-awaited A58 relief road, which would link the A664 (Albert Royds Street) to Smithy Bridge Road. Planning permission has been granted to construct the initial part of the relief road starting at Smithy Bridge Road, but this came in exchange for developers building hundreds more homes in the area.

In November, Rochdale council’s planning committee were met with boos when they approved the 309-home scheme for land off Hollingworth Road. At the meeting, local councillor Richard Jackson explained how many people refer to Littleborough as a ‘lovely place, but wouldn’t want to live there with all the traffic’.

Just like the spot next to Hollingworth Lake, the land primed for 199 homes off Smithy Bridge Road was deeply disliked locally. That was approved in January, but it did come with a planning commitment to start the relief road after a certain number of houses were completed.

More land would need to be snapped up in order to complete the road later on down the line. That will take years to build, so short and medium-term solutions are needed to support local businesses and commuters.

One method is stamping out what seem like an endless amount of roadworks in the area.

So local councillors are working with Paul Waugh on a Private Member’s Bill to introduce to Parliament, calling for strengthening oversight and accountability on the classification of emergency works. This would stop utility companies using the ‘emergency works’ excuse to bypass local controls.

The Rochdale MP took an initial step to write to the roads minister Simon Lightwood, putting forward Littleborough’s plight. In a prompt response, the minister understood the concerns and agreed the government would look into cracking down on utility companies abusing the ‘emergency works’ excuse.

The recent letter read: “We are considering ways to improve the operation and use of emergency works, and will consider the approach you describe. In doing so, it is important to take into account the additional burdens and potential costs such changes could place on local authorities, as well as the need to preserve the ability for works promoters to respond swiftly where genuine emergencies arise.

“More broadly, the Government is taking forward a range of measures to reduce disruption from roadworks, including supporting the roll out of lane rental schemes, promoting earlier planning and coordination, and working closely with local authorities and utility companies. “These measures are intended to improve delivery while minimising unnecessary disruption.”

Another short term solution is being pushed by Coun Adam Branton and his fellow ward councillors around Littleborough. They intend to coordinate with the council to communicate where works will take place ahead of time; help the council understand their enforcement powers; and introduce daily charges for lane occupation.

These plans, alongside the relief road decades in the making, are seen as the best way to bring back the tranquil Littleborough many residents remember from way back when.

Coun Branton is also one of the many councillors in the area calling for the A58 relief road in what has become a cross-party effort from Conservative, Lib Dem and Labour politicians. With more and more houses due to be built in the town over the next decade, those calls for the relief road to come as soon as possible will only grow louder.

MP Paul Waugh said: “Local people and businesses in Littleborough have put up with far too much disruption for far too long, so I’m really pleased the roads minister is engaging with this. Any help the Government can give to improve how roadworks are managed and reduce unnecessary delays will have my full support.

“We’re pushing ahead with local solutions like lane rental and a long-term relief road, but I’ll continue pressing for further action from ministers to make a real difference on the ground.”

Coun Adam Branton, added: “The voice of local businesses must be heard, and the economic impact fully considered in any reporting, before the council makes decisions that affect the daily lives of our residents. I am pleased to be working with Rochdale MP Paul Waugh on this — it is a sign that when an issue matters enough to a community, we can put party politics aside and get on with the job.”