Endless frustration as Littleborough traffic goes from bad to worse

Bumper to bumper traffic, queues with huge delays and endless frustration. These are the usual issues associated with Littleborough.

Bumper to bumper traffic, queues with huge delays and endless frustration. These are the usual issues associated with Littleborough.

But the traffic problems in our town have become a particular sore point in recent months. Two new housing developments in the area have been met with huge objections, with the common feeling more people moving into the area would only add fuel to the fire.

In November, the 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 also deeply disliked locally. Ultimately, those plans were also approved this week by the planning committee.

To get an understanding of the arguments put forward by the objectors, the Local Democracy Reporting Service decided to make a commute out of Littleborough. Via train, it takes around 20 minutes to get from the town’s station into Manchester Victoria.

In the same amount of time, 20 minutes, the test commute got to Milnrow where many motorists access the M62 motorway. According to local sources, this 20 minute journey to travel just over three miles is fast compared to usual.

The reason behind the relatively fast commute time is due to the set off time of the LDRS commute, which started just after 8.30am, when many motorists have already left the town for work. Ironically, this is due to the level of traffic en route to Littleborough in order to test the commute, which did showcase the problems in the town as well as further afield between 7am and 9am.

The LDRS test route went through Smithy Bridge via Lake Bank. Roadworks next to Hollingworth Lake Rowing Club and numerous traffic light stops along the journey were obvious points for traffic to build up.

It was clear that, if you work in Manchester city centre, the train from Littleborough station is the better option, even on a good day for traffic. At the latest planning committee meeting in Rochdale, where they approved 199 homes off Smithy Bridge Road, Coun Billy Sheerin gave a passionate speech about people having to find alternative modes of transport.

“We’re too reliant on our cars,” Coun Sheerin told the committee. He wants to see a change in mentality with a push towards cycling and public transport rather than people jumping in the car for travel.

This rant, as he put it, was born out of a debate over a relief road that was promised alongside the 199 homes. The idea behind this is to ease pressure on the junctions around the A58, but councillors want to see it built before any more houses come in.

A relief road for the A58 has long been touted for the traffic blighted town, with Bloor Homes even making a financial contribution of £970,000 that would go towards the development of this. This financial contribution formed part of an agreement with the council following the approval of their 309-home scheme on former greenbelt land off Hollingworth Road.

Although there are no concrete plans to actually build the road that locals have been waiting two decades for, it is understood town hall bosses believe they now have enough financial contributions to start looking to develop a plan.

The problem has not just been something councillors have been looking into though, with Rochdale MP writing to utility companies about slow roadworks and raising the issue in Parliament this month. He stressed that new government laws should make it easier to fine companies that cause unnecessary delays.

Mr Waugh said previously: “Roadworks on the A58 have become a regular headache for people in and around Littleborough. Too often residents are left sitting in traffic because the works are poorly coordinated and done during weekdays rather than weekends, evenings or school holidays.

“The Government is going to change the law to stop utility firms starting work on a Friday and doing nothing all weekend until Monday. We are also working to force companies to face a serious financial cost of keeping a road lane closed per day.

“But the bigger issue is infrastructure. Without a relief road, a new secondary school and proper long-term planning, we will keep forcing an overstretched road to absorb pressure it simply cannot handle.”

Better traffic light signalling; new charges on companies to stamp out needless delays; and a new relief road to ease pressure on the A58 are all the MP’s priority list.

Despite the thousands of objections, many relating to road congestion concerns, those plans for the former greenbelt land off Hollingworth Road as well as the land off Smithy Bridge Road. With more housing sites being approved in previous years, over 600 new homes are expected in the town in the coming years.

The idea that a relief road can solve all of Littleborough’s traffic problems may not be entirely true, according to Coun Sheerin. This is why he has pushed for a change in mentality over how people get about.

In summer Littleborough, and Hollingworth Lake in particular, becomes a tourist hotspot. Thousands descend on the area every year for a splash in the water or to take on the rural hikes offered by the town.

The combination of a capacity road network and tourists flooding in has often resulted in gridlock. The relief road, faster roadworks, less new homes and a push towards public transport seem to be the only suggestions on the cards currently.