Canal27ways

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  • Why are cycle lanes happening, Everywhere?

    Why are cycle lanes happening, Everywhere?

    A voter asks

    Can you tell me what you think of the situation with regard to cycle lanes, which are being increased by a very large number all around Stretford, Trafford and most other surrounding areas?

    It is a driver’s worst nightmare and it no longer matters when you are travelling. There used to be a certain build-up of traffic in the peak times, but now there is a build-up of traffic all day. This is due in my opinion to a four-lane road being turned into a two-lane road, which seems to be done with very little realistic thinking.

    Question asked by voter in response to election material

    So, why are we doing this?

    This is a question about cycling lanes being asked by so many drivers. I really feel it needs answering and I genuinely feel there are some good reasons so let’s set the context.

    Right across Europe, US and Asia, cities are installing cycling infrastructure. It can’t just be on the whim of politicians like Andy Burnham or Boris Johnson.

    Andy Burnham, Andrew Western, Chris Boardman and Beryl Executives
    Andy Western, Andy Burnham and Chris Boardman

    There’s even a bike on the front cover of Trafford Labour’s Manifesto

    There isn’t a single answer but the reasons are manifold including:

    • Health
    • Carbon Reduction
    • Air Quality
    • Congestion

    I’m going to go through these reasons individually and hopefully bring that together in Trafford’s strategy.

    Health

    Modern life styles are so reduced in physical activity, it is having a detrimental effect on healthy lifespans. Over the last 30 years, deaths and disability from cardiovascular disease have been steadily rising across the globe. In 2019 alone, the condition, which includes heart disease and stroke, was responsible for a staggering one-third of all deaths worldwide.
    The main thing we need to do about it is to walk* more. Whether it is working from home or our dependence on cars, we’ve got to move more.
    *I deliberately put the emphasis on walking. Whilst cycling and walking infrastructure is linked, we are not putting enough thought into making a walk to the school or shops an easy option.
    As Covid has exacerbated this. I think it’s fair to say to we would want to improve walking and cycling whether Government was leaning on us or not, but the fact is Government is leaning on us to do it.

    Carbon Reduction

    We’re obligated under international treaties particularly COP to reduce our carbon emissions. Globally, the transport sector is a huge contributor to those emissions and one that is seen as being comparatively easier to tackle but with significant positive side effects if we do.

    Air Quality

    The Government has directed Greater Manchester to meet legal limits for nitrogen dioxide on local roads “in the shortest possible time” and by 2026 at the latest. The Government still wants a charging zone for polluting vehicles but Manchester is resisting having got its fingers burnt. Let’s be honest, it was an awful initial plan, putting most of the charge on business vehicles that had to be used regardless of whether there were public transport alternatives or not. Essentially, there’s now a standoff between the government and Manchester, but clearly promoting cycling is an easy win in this, supported by both Govt and the Combined Authority.

    Congestion

    Bikes do not cause congestion, traffic does. Greater Manchester has been suffering congestion for decades. Drivers will point to cycle lanes but there are so many roads without cycling infrastructure and that are still congested. Bikes are ultimately part of the solution rather than the problem.

    Personal Example
    I’m a keen City fan and try to get to a decent number of home games. If I’m travelling alone I’ll use the bike. The roads through central and east Manchester become chock-full, yet there’s no cycling infrastructure worthy of the name on that side of Manchester. As a 64 year old man, I can easily beat my neighbours home on my bike even though they leave early to avoid the worst of the congestion. If I went in the car, I’d simply be adding another car to that congestion. By going by bike, I am helping to reduce the congestion, cycling does not cause congestion.

    Regardless of bike infrastructure, this congestion is hugely detrimental to Manchester. It’s costing businesses millions. It is costing Manchester investment too in investment. And here I return to walking because I can’t emphasise enough how critical good walking infrastructure is.

    Jeff Speck is a city planner and urban designer who I have huge respect for argues that in addition to the health and environmental benefits mentioned above, walkable neighbourhoods caused

    • Increased property values: Walkable neighbourhoods are in high demand, and as a result, properties in these areas tend to have higher values than those in less walkable areas. Walkability can also help attract new businesses to an area, further increasing property values.
    • Increased economic activity: Walkable neighbourhoods often have more small, locally-owned businesses, which can help to create a sense of community and increase economic activity in the area.
    • Increased social capital: Walkable neighbourhoods can foster a sense of community and social connection, which can have positive impacts on mental health and overall quality of life.

    To summarise why we’re doing it

    • We’re doing it because Government is telling us to do it
    • We’re doing it because many of us (but not all) across all the main parties (and I do mean all) believe in doing it for all the reasons above.

    So how are we doing in Trafford?

    We published the Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy in March 2023 which includes our overall goal that over the next 10 years

    • 90% of journeys under 1 mile will be taken by foot or wheeled
      equipment (e.g. cycles, scooters, wheelchairs, mobility scooters).
    • 80% of journeys under 5 miles will be taken by foot or wheeled
      equipment (e.g. cycles, scooters, wheelchairs, mobility scooters).

    That is hugely ambitious when you consider that the Greater Manchester’s figures for 2019 were:

    • Car or taxi: 55% of trips
    • Public transport (including buses, trains, and trams): 27% of trips
    • Walking: 11% of trips
    • Cycling: 2% of trips

    So we do have to get a move on. The Talbot Road / Stretford Road cycleway was largely in place or committed to when we in Labour came into control of Trafford. Then Covid came along and triggered the A56 cones to be installed as an emergency measure primarily to get people to work without placing them in the then-considered hazardous environment of public transport. The government insists it doesn’t will not fund local authorities who rip out the infrastructure already funded by the government so that has left us with coned areas of the A56 that please no one.

    That said, there have been too many projects abandoned after considerable in-house work has been committed to them. We need to get better and the recent appointment of Councillor Aidan Williams as the responsible Executive Member has helped enormously, but we’re still getting some unfathomable decisions elsewhere in the council such as the failure to resurface the full width of Talbot Road and leaving the cycle lanes on the same road in a poor state of repair. We’ve made the commitment to walking and cycling – people will just get sceptical as to what we’re doing if we don’t stick with it.

    Going back to the original question, we’re not yet seeing the big increase in cycling in Stretford we need to justify the policy and we won’t until it’s joined up. A journey to Manchester, Chorlton or Eccles entails too many sections that are actually quite scary and until there’s an accommodation for the inexperienced cyclist, we’re not going to see that increase. It’s hard not to sympathise with the voter who raised this question. We need that acceleration in the policy.

    Lostock and Barton Ward

    The Talbot Road / Stretford Cycleway is often cited amongst Greater Manchester’s better pieces of cycling infrastructure, but for me, Barton Dock Road is the best and it’s in the ward. It is everything cycling infrastructure should be. It doesn’t interfere with traffic but gets you there on the most direct route. The Trafford Centre and particularly Asda could do much better in accommodating bikes when you arrive at the destination, but there’s no denying the quality of the Barton Dock Road cycle path.
    In choosing walking for short trips the position is more mixed, to put it mildly. Walking has a huge advantage over driving in getting across the railway line from Lostock to Derbyshire Lane, but the upkeep of the Humphrey Park Station tunnel is so appalling and inaccessible to wheelchairs. It usually is in a squalid state of cleanliness. We can do so much better with what is an essential route for parents and school children in particular.
    Similarly getting across some of our minor, but busy roads on foot or in a wheelchair is far more difficult than it should be. The crossings give so much priority to cars. It should be a given that drains next to crossings are prioritised but they’re not. The crossing at the Melville is too often a wade through a large puddle, after you’ve got splashed by cars first obviously.

    So my Lostock and Barton priorities for active travel are:

    • Making the Park Road/Derbyshire Lane junction safe for pedestrians
    • Working with the GM Mayor’s office, Trafford, and Northern Rail on Humphrey Park subway to make it accessible
    • Pursuing improvements to the route from Lostock Park to Trafford Park
    • Working with Asda to improve their cycle accessibility from the roundabout and into the parking area
    • Working with colleagues to ensure that the Urmston Active Neighbourhood has clear objectives impacting on the Lostock and Barton neighbourhoods
    • Looking at all crossings to ensure they meet the needs of those crossing the road in terms of maintenance and responsiveness.
    • Looking at bus routes to ensure our neighbourhoods are connected to the places they want to go to
    • Looking at bus stops so they’re clean and comfortable

    Trafford Manifesto

    Trafford Labour’s 2023 manifesto sets out our general policy priorities.

    Trafford under Labour will work with partners and communities to ensure Trafford’s streets are safer and have accessible walking and cycling routes.
    Under Labour £20m is being invested in improving our walking and cycling routes.
    Continue to work with local communities to help establish Play Street schemes, where children can play safely together, free from traffic.
    Commit to ensuring that children in Trafford can get to and from school safely in an environment that supports walking, cycling, and other forms of cleaner transport by rolling out School Streets.

  • It looks like a busy meeting of Trafford’s Executive next Monday

    It seems to be a packed agenda for Monday’s meeting. It’s here that we get the best insight as to how the council is working. There’s a few initiatives reaching report stage and a few projects that are beginning to get going.

    Agenda

    • Greening Trafford Park and Low Carbon Trafford Park Studies
    • Leisure Investment – Levelling up Partington Sports Village
    • Trafford Moving Refresh
    • Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy
    • Better Care Fund
    • Section 75 Agreement with MFT
    • 10 Year Estates Strategy
    • Altrincham Town Hall
    • Supported Housing Strategy
    • BAME Terminolology
    • Budget Monitoring

    Highlights

    Trafford Supported Housing Strategy

    This is probably the most important item on the agenda. For the first time, supported housing gets its own strategy rather lost within the wider housing provision.

    Trafford’s need in this area is stark.

    • Trafford has a greater mortality rate for those aged under 75 years with mental health needs compared to its nine nearest statistical neighbours.
    • Hospital admissions connected to self-harm in the most deprived ward of Trafford is
      43% higher than the national average
      .
    • The recorded prevalence of depression has increased by 6.4% since 2013/14

    Trafford’s mortality rate for those with mental health needs is shocking. Trafford hospitals have the highest ‘length of stay’ rate compared with the rest of Greater Manchester. Lack of suitable accommodation is one driving factor for this.

    The vision:

    Work collaboratively to provide a range of quality supported housing, and housing related support, to enable those with support needs to live independently in Trafford.

    The Strategy contains a breakdown of supported housing need, current provision, future provision, and strategic objectives relating to each of the following need groups:

    • Domestic Abuse
    • Ex-offenders
    • Learning disabilities and Autism
    • Mental Health
    • Physical and Sensory Disabilities
    • Substance Misuse
    • Young People
    • Complex Needs

    It’s easy to see that under-provision in this area triggers excess demand in so many of our services, particularly health and policing.

    Greening Trafford Park and Low Carbon Trafford Park Studies

    These two studies have been heavily promoted throughout the investigations into the potential for a cleaner – greener Trafford Park. There’s some big ticket items that will require regional and national interventions. However there is smaller stuff that could be progressed quickly, but is really dependent:

    • on the Council and agencies grasping the report findings and building it into maintenance and uplift strategies for Trafford Park. Pavements are too narrow, bus stops low quality for example – when the council is working on an area, it should not be looking at how it can be left in a better state
    • on a Business Improvement District for Trafford Park – this is a key thrust – Hopefully it will fare better than the Trafford Park Business Neighbourhood which never really took off.

    We’ll have to see whether the Executive ‘owns’ this report and commits to key target setting or just welcomes the content. The reports are worthwhile on common energy generation and other matters. I think though that it requires a lot more commitment than provided for in the Executive submission.

    Trafford Moving

    The vision of Trafford Moving is to enable residents in Trafford to move more every day, by enabling more opportunities for residents to be active and to help people sustain this activity as part of their everyday lives, which will lead to a reduction in health inequalities in Trafford.

    That’s a tough nut to crack and the people that need most encouragement are both hard to reach and possibly don’t realise they should increase physical activity. However, there is hope with the report below.

    Trafford Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy

    The overall goal is that over the next 10 years

    • 90% of journeys under 1 mile will be taken by foot or wheels
      equipment
    • 80% of journeys under 5 miles will be taken by foot or wheels
      equipment.

    That’s an ambitious target that would really go a long way to meeting the Trafford Moving policy at the same time. We’ve seen such a massive improvement since Aidan Williams became the Executive Lead. He’s not yet been in post 12 months but he’s made such a difference.

    Watching the Executive

    You can watch meetings of the council either live or a recording the next day. I tend to watch later so I can fast forward to get to the bits I’m interested in. The council has a YouTube channel

    https://www.youtube.com/@traffordcouncilmeetings8327

  • Lead Councillor brings Trafford up to Speed on the Cones

    Lead Councillor brings Trafford up to Speed on the Cones

    Hardly a week passes without a new thread on Facebook or Twitter about the cycle lanes going through Stretford. The main complaint has been the lack of transparency and news about what’s going to happen to them. Will they be made permanent? Will they be taken out? Will the cones be there forever?

    There’s been some changes to Trafford’s leadership since the election and Councillor Aidan Williams has been added to the cabinet to take on Climate Change and Transport Strategy.

    Councillor Williams took the opportunity of addressing a petition to give a wider update on the A56 last week when Council met at the town hall. The actual petition sought to exploit unused rail space alongside the Stretford Metrolink all the way down to Sale to provide additional cycling capacity. The council leadership agreed to explore the potential of this proposal but highlighted the limited access as an issue that meant it could never offer an alternative to the A56 for short journeys on bikes.

    The cycle lanes have been frustrating for drivers and cyclists alike. Now that Councillor Williams is in place, we’re beginning to get coherent messaging. First indication was a tweet that Aidan put out in mid July, a simple tweet that made its way to both the Manchester Evening News and the Messenger.

    The update at last Wednesday’s council meeting built on the information given out in the tweet. The council is going to consult on permanent cycling infrastructure in Stretford linking it via the Talbot Road scheme and (Old) Chester Road that gives Stretford continuous segregated cycling to the Manchester border. The design and landscaping within the town centre itself will be wrapped up within the town centre masterplan there.

    Full Text of Speech


    Personally, I very much welcome this. It’s beginning to join up cycling facilities. We need to see what they come up with at the Talbot Road junction because that’s still dangerous and if the test is a 12 year old being safe, we’re still a long way from that. But hey, this is so much better than what we’ve been used to.

    I’m really pleased that we’re getting some transparency now and it sounds like Councillor Williams wants to listen to all interested parties. Clarity is vital. We now know that cycle lanes won’t be installed along Chester Road in Gorse Hill. That will disappoint many, but at least knowing it, means that we can focus getting more crossings of that road. A crossing at Gorse Hill Park gates is an absolute must.

    And we still urgently need that pedestrian phase at the Park Road/Derbyshire Lane junction so people can walk to Stretford without having to sprint. If Councillor Williams’s Transport Strategy responsibilities extend to getting people across roads, we’ve got a chance to start seeing some real improvements.

    • Canvassing Kingsway Park

      Canvassing Kingsway Park

      Things I heard:

      Better maintenance of drains and general upkeep of streets wanted including weed control

      – I heard this from quite a few residents. It’s a difficult one but we shouldn’t dismiss it. There was one grid pointed out to me that actually looked as though it had been cleaned. I might be wrong but if we have residents who believe their streets are not being serviced, and it worries them, shouldn’t we be giving better data. They’re paying council tax but we’re giving back information that’s borderline facetious describing the leaf clearance in terms of its weight in elephants. If residents want to know when and how often their grids ought to be cleared and whether that has happened we should be telling them.

      I do think there’s a discussion to be had about street upkeep more generally. Cheap black tarmac patching on pavements highlight the fact that the pavements were originally laid to a standard that we’ll never match again. Whilst hopefully we can fund better than we do now, it’s probably unrealistic to think councils will ever realistically have sufficient funds to bring pavements and roads to a standard that people truly aspire to. How did that happen? Looking at it from a lay perspective, it looks to me that we’ve gone backwards even allowing for the increased workload we place on roads and pavements. Are we really using low tech and manual labour to standards lower than we used 100 years ago? Have councils and highway authorities demanded the sufficient improvements in technology and productivity that we’ve seen in almost every other field of work?

      We really do need to enforce encroachment of vegetation onto the pavement. We’re denying people the right to move about freely if they’re pushing a pram or using mobility aids. This was raised by a resident in connection with a near neighbour and she’s absolutely right to raise.

      I thought it interesting that one resident felt political parties ought to be more capable of working together. It’s polarised. I don’t know how we can change that.

      Doorstep conversations are always interesting and provocative. I always come back with more challenges to the way we do things.


    • Couple of pieces of Casework

      Couple of pieces of Casework

      This week has brought a couple of pieces of casework that have not resulted in complete resolution (though have managed to get a couple of potholes fixed) but still worth the work in pursuing further.

      Potholes in Lostock

      There’s a lot of potholes in Norwich Road at its junction with Moss Vale Road. They’re not deep, but they are plentiful and the road looks a mess. Because they’re not deep, the holes do reach the criteria to be repaired. I’m arguing that the criteria should be tweaked to bring in sections of road where like Norwich Road, there’s been a systemic failure in a small section of road.

      Barfoot Bridge

      A resident noticed that the Bridgewater Canal aqueduct over the River Mersey was displaying visual signs of decay. I raised it with officers of the Bridgewater Canal and they’ve been to inspect.

      The bridge seems to have weathered the recent storms and high water level in the river, but it’s worth giving consideration to the longer term. They’re hoping to bring forward the next more extensive inspection and have engaged a consultant of arched structures to look at the longer term. We want it to survive in perpetuity, so it’s worth following up on this.

    • Hotels coming and going, excitement over Old Trafford and Stretford moving forward.

      Hotels coming and going, excitement over Old Trafford and Stretford moving forward.

      A busy time for planning applications, both new applications and older ones being resolved:

      Trafford Park Hotel

      This is a new application for the Hotel which is oldest heritage asset in Trafford Park. It’s been allowed to deteriorate for some time though in recent years attempts have been made by what has been a procession of new owners to come up with a plan to provide new purpose to the pub.

      We had an attempt to have it built into a boutique hotel development that included a new block adjacent to the pub. That was rejected out of hand by planners as the new block was considered too big.

      We now have new owners and their vision is for apartments. Again there is a new block albeit somewhat smaller than that proposed earlier.

      In terms of architecture, I’m supportive of the new application. It retains and repurposes the pub building and whilst the adjacent block is not blowing anyone away, this is what it might to take to preserve the pub building.

      My problem is that it’s for apartments in a very much depopulated part of Trafford Park. It does have the tram and good bus connections. Trafford Park village actually has lovely shops but they are geared to a 5 day a week operation and there’s nothing there at all at weekends. We’ve very much reserved this whole area for industry and commercial activity since the last houses were demolished.

      I think there’s a very good chance that planning officers will take a dim view of it being for residential use. This application might well go the way of the last application with summary dismissal.

      Sadly, I think hotel use was a much better proposal but that application never even got to planning committee. I’m not making the same mistake twice. For that reason, I’ve ‘called’ the application in. At the very least it will allow councillors to have consideration of the remaining options for preserving this much loved listed building. I won’t be a councillor when the application is ready for determination but I’ve consulted with my fellow councillors and Dave and Laurence and both agree we need proper consideration of the proposal.

      Manchester United Stadium

      The future of Old Trafford has been the subject of much press speculation. It seems certain that significant proposals are being drawn up to either almost rebuild the current stadium, or to build a new stadium on nearby land.

      I think it’s fair to say that as the main concerns will be traffic and community impact, local councillors will be sharpening their elbows to work their way to the front to be heard.

      We know how these sorts of regionally significant projects have a tendency to pan out. There’s lots of ‘glad-handing’ of regional ministers, Metro-Mayors, not to mention leaders of Salford and Trafford, but little say from the communities most affected. Those local elbows will have to be razor sharp and in my view, it will be to the benefit of Manchester United if they are.

      A Manchester United Stadium that meets the collected needs of the fans, the club and the people who live and work alongside has to be better than one that sets itself apart.

      Greatstone Hotel

      This was a planning application to build apartments on the site of the Greatstone Hotel adjacent to the Gorse Hill Park gates. The council refused planning permission but the applicants appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. The inspector Louise Crosby ruled in support of the refusal:

      I have found that the proposal would have a significant harmful effect on the
      character and appearance of the surrounding area, great weight must also be
      given to the harm I have identified to designated heritage assets which is not
      outweighed by the public benefits. I have also found that the proposal would
      not provide adequate outdoor private amenity space for future residents of the
      apartments.

      Louise Crosby

      I’m sure they’ll come again with a new proposal or someone else will.

      701 Chester Road – 169 bed hotel on corner with Warwick Road

      This was the second time this site had come to planning. The first time, planning committee refused permission and to a certain extent, this was confirmed in an appeal against the decision.

      The applicants tried to address the reasons for refusal endorsed by the planning inspector. So, this application had reduced maximum height and more car parking, particularly disabled car parking.

      However, planning committee still didn’t approve the application for reasons of:

      • The design having a detrimental impact on the character and visual appearance of the street scene and the surrounding area.
      • The scale would give rise to an unduly overbearing and over-dominant impact and result in harmful overlooking to the detriment of the amenity that the adjoining occupants could reasonably expect to enjoy.
      • The proposed development would generate an additional demand for car parking which cannot be accommodated on this site in a satisfactory manner.

      Interestingly to me as an observer, the Director of Growth and Regulatory Services was sufficiently disturbed by the overly theatrical performances of some members of the planning committee in their considerations, that he felt bound to chastise them over their lack of focus in what he rightfully reminded them was a quasi-judicial function.*

      (*This is a nice way of saying that he gave them a bollocking and it’s unprecedented as far as I’m aware to do it in public unless one counts Jackie Weaver.)

      School Streets – What are School Streets?

      A School Street is a road outside a school with a temporary restriction on motorised traffic at school drop-off and pick-up times. The restriction applies to school traffic and through traffic. The result is a safer, healthier and pleasant environment for everyone.

      School Street schemes offer a proactive solution for school communities to tackle air pollution, poor health and road danger reduction. A School Street scheme will encourage a healthier lifestyle and active travel to school for families and lead to a better environment for everyone.

      Trafford is hoping to finally get one installed imminently. It’s taken too long but we’re there with our first pilot. Given we’re almost there, I’ve made a plea for data to be collated quickly in terms of how the school performs now. I want us to be able to show the difference that school streets make.

      All things transport

      Just to emphasise how important it was for Andy Burnham to have his franchising of Greater Manchester’s buses ruled as legal and legitimate, we can already see the benefit the decision to cap all bus fares to £2 for a single journey. The bus fares in Manchester over recent decades have almost forced people into cars. At last we’re allowed to bring some common sense to the issue.

      Vernon Everitt has been appointed as Andy Burnham’s new Transport Commissioner to replace Chris Boardman who’s taken on a national role at Active Travel England.

      Dame Sarah Storey takes over Chris Boardman’s other role for Active Travel in Greater Manchester.

      If I’m honest, I’m not overly thrilled that the two disciplines are separated again. We really need everyone singing from the same hymn-sheet and I’m still concerned that those in TfGM responsible for traffic are resisting change. There are too many unresponsive crossings in GM and we’re nowhere near giving priority to pedestrian travel. I’d go as far as to say major sections of TfGM are not fit for purpose.

      Covid-19

      Bad news, I’m afraid. Trafford back as having highest rates in Greater Manchester and trends are all upwards. Hospital rates are rising. The only positive indicator is that use of ventilators are down.

      Stretford Town Centre

      Let’s finish on a positive note. Stretford took a another jump forward with planning permission granted to proceed to the next stage. This includes quite a substantial demolition to focus on the King Street area as well as underneath and around the multi-storey car park.

      Now we’re moving beyond outline planning, I think we can lose the rather too cartoony CGI images of people dangling their feet in the canal. This is quite a radical change for Stretford but we did need to lose a lot of the Mall. The challenge is to make sure we have a Stretford that’s big enough to be the town centre we want, and that presents an attractive face to those coming through. I think we can deliver that.

      Designated for demolition (hatched areas)