[ad_1]
On a normal lunchtime, the smell of freshly baked bread and cakes should be filling the air outside the Barbakan bakery on Manchester Road in Chorlton. But in the last few months, the air has instead been filled with the smell of exhausts and freshly-laid tarmac as builders construct new cycle paths outside.
As part of the £13.4m Chorlton to Manchester Cycleway, a series of roadworks commissioned by Manchester Council is underway to fit the area into the city-region’s Bee Network – a scheme made up of more than 1,800 miles of routes encouraging safe cycling and walking, as well as 400 miles of Dutch-style segregated bike lanes.
The works, which began after a consultation found 73 per cent in favour, have been underway since February and are being done in phased instalments. But some traders say construction has led to footfall dwindling as work carries on beyond the original September end date.
READ MORE: Manchester street food market Grub to remain open after company behind it entered liquidation owing over £200k
READ MORE: ‘A landmark moment for culture in Manchester, the north and the UK’: Inside Aviva Studios – home of Factory International – as it opens after years in the making
Five sets of roadworks in Chorlton at once
Frankie Dyer, who runs the Barbakan – which has been in her family for the last 60 years – says she is frustrated with a ‘lack of communication’ from the Council over the work – although the council says they and contractors have been keep people informed. She says customers have stopped coming as often, staff have left after she was forced to reduce their hours and delivery vehicles are struggling for access.
She says she has counted a 20% drop in footfall since work began outside her bakery four months ago. At present there are five sets of roadworks on Chorlton’s main roads – Manchester Road, Barlow Moor Road and Wilbraham Road at once.
Work in the area began at the ‘Four Banks’ crossroads of Wilbraham Road and Barlow Moor Road in February. At the time, Frankie said the council told her they would work on one aspect at a time with each section taking up to five weeks to complete.
“It seems that all four corners have been blocked and a four-way traffic light system has been in place for most of the year,” Frankie told the M.E.N. “There have been weeks of closed roads where there have been no workers anywhere.
“There have been a series of issues which have led to delays but nobody is being held accountable for the fact that there have been zero workmen on the streets of Chorlton for months at a time. All of this is having a massive, negative impact on our business.”
Manchester Council says they have faced a number of delays which have extended the length of the project, including issues stemming from the underground works on the Four Banks which have been ‘particularly difficult to navigate and as a result there has been disruption’. Following a discovery of voids under the service, Manchester Council also needed to arrange for further works to take place.
“Of course, we sympathise with anyone experiencing disruption due to this work but as with any major infrastructure project there may be delays or issues that arise during its course,” a spokesperson for the Council said. “The underground’s works around Four Banks were particularly difficult to navigate and as a result there has been disruption. In order to repair voids found under the service it was imperative to take the extra time to ensure the final road layout was safe.
“However, the works are on course to be completed by the end of the year, only slightly behind the original end date of September, supported by additional work crews the Council has assigned specifically to ensure that it is completed on schedule.”
Barbakan boss: “We are fed up”
Frankie says that loyal shoppers who would normally visit twice a week now popping in once a month after confessing the roadworks make it difficult for them to visit.
“We are fed up,” she explains. “People come from all over Greater Manchester to shop here – people aren’t cycling in here from Bolton. We tell people ‘good luck’ when they ask us where to park. I’ve had to reduce staff hours, some people have left because we can’t give them enough hours.
“After trying to recruit and train good working staff up and then, through no fault of our own, not being able to give them enough hours is just devastating. This should be our busiest time of year but it’s just been dead.”
Frankie says she was involved in the consultation phase of the project and voiced her concern over aspects planned at the time. While she appreciates the cycle way will encourage more people to ride bikes into the area, she is concerned about parking spaces for those who can’t cycle, as well as how staff and suppliers can easily get to the premises.
“If you’re going to dig up a road, you should have the manpower to do it within the time frame you said,” she explained. “They have taken away dozens of car parking spaces and not given us an alternative when there’s the same amount of, if not more, drivers on the road.
“There have been times when we haven’t been able to get deliveries because our wagons can’t get down the road or park here. Our bins haven’t been collected on numerous occasions.”
Manchester Council said the consultation phase during the start of the project made it clear that a number of parking bays would have to be removed or relocated due to the installation of cycle lanes.
A spokesperson for the Council added: “This is directly linked to a new policy set out by the Council at the beginning of the year, which put bold strategies in place looking at how we could accelerate the city’s transition to more environmentally friendly modes of transport.”
Frankie claims that attempts to speak to the council over her concerns have gone unanswered. “There’s been hardly any communication until last week when I asked again for support and updates,” she explains. “Even then, I just have apologies. I can’t pay wages on apologies as I stare at an empty construction site. We deserve so much better than that.”
She says she was also recently informed that work will now run outside her shop until December 22. “It’s just a kick in the teeth after everything we’ve had to go through in the last few years as businesses,” she says.
“This is just something that we did not need to have to endure. And to say that it will be going on until December 22 is just a devastating blow. Christmas is basically ruined for us.”
Unicorn boss: “It’s felt like forever – but the endgame will be good for Chorlton”
Not far from the Barbakan lies Unicorn, a grocery co-operative which sells organic and locally sourced fruit and vegetables. Director Kellie Bubble says she understands the frustration felt in the area right now.
“We’re massively behind the scheme as are most of our customers, but it has been going on for a long time – it’s felt like forever,” she explains. “I can totally understand the pain of other traders. It’s another added level of disruption on top of what has already been a lengthy process.”
While Kellie says she cannot directly identify how the work has impacted footfall at Unicorn, she says she imagines it must have eaten away at some of the recent trade. But she still remains optimistic about what the scheme can bring to the area.
“It’s been challenging but I think the end game is going to be a good thing for the future of Chorlton,” she explains. “If it can empower people to use their bikes more than that can only be great for everybody.
“I can totally relate to the pain being felt right now, it’s taken much longer than we’ve all expected it to take but that doesn’t take away from the gain that the whole community can have from this scheme.
“But it is certainly challenging times and I do feel for all the traders who are seeing the footfall change significantly when they’re already struggling. It’s hard.”
“Even before the work, Chorlton was absolutely rammed with cars….something needed to change on that”
Chorlton Traders Association represents a number of businesses and traders in the area. For the last ten years, the traders forum has met regularly to liaise with the Council and provide feedback on issues and concerns in the area.
“We always knew that this was going to be a difficult part to implement as it’s through the centre of the district and it’s such a busy area,” Alan Williams, co-chair of the Association, says of the works. “But, inevitably, things have happened which have led to delays which have been out of people’s control.
“Where it’s got tricky is when we’ve had situations where there’s a part of a road cordoned off without any construction happening. It could be that they’re waiting for a utilities company to fix it, but we haven’t always had that understanding of how long it’s going to be, so there has been a bit of a breakdown there.”
While Manchester Council is saying the end date is ‘only slightly behind’ the originally planned end date of September, and that they have communicated with restaurants and businesses throughout, a spokesperson said they appreciated the public’s patience.
As part of the Association’s work, the group collates data using street counters to identify levels of footfall in the area. The figures showed that 83,218 people visited Chorlton in 2023, down from the 92,010 in the same month the year before. In fact, each month since February – when work first began – has been down compared to the same period in 2022.
“I can completely understand the difficulties that traders have experienced,” Alan explains. “The scheme has been delayed quite significantly now but we’re looking to get that detailed level of communication going again to see how we can work with each other better. We need it completed as having it at this stage is tricky for everyone.
“I do feel that we’re on the right track to getting it completed in the best way now. But there will be a loss of parking spaces as a result of this scheme – the long-term aim is that there will be improvements to cycling and it will encourage people to walk and cycle more and reduce car use.
“Even before the work, Chorlton was absolutely rammed with cars. It just wasn’t working as it is. It was recognised that something needed to change on that. Traders will be concerned but, at the same time, having the cycle lane should be seen as a bonus to the district.
“At the moment, it’s all pain with no gain but we’re hoping the benefits will be seen soon enough.”
What Manchester Council says:
A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: “The Manchester to Chorlton Cycleway has been a hugely transformative project, showing the scope and ambition of the Council’s wider plan to improve walking and cycling routes throughout the city.
“Beginning last year we have engaged with residents and businesses to explain the works timeline, as well as address concerns or questions. Introductions were also made with the contractor who were able to provide day-to-day updates if required. And, Council staff engaged with concerns raised through the Chorlton Traders Group, as well as passing information down to local ward members.
“We entirely appreciate how stressful major infrastructure works are, and as ever, we appreciate the public’s patience shown throughout the year.
“Before this project began the Council published a consultation which set out to residents and businesses which were proposed, as well as allowing them a chance to comment on any potential issues. It was made clear that a number of parking bays would have to be removed or relocated to ensure that cycle lanes could be properly installed.
“This is directly linked to a new policy set out by the Council at the beginning of the year, which put bold strategies in place looking at how we could accelerate the city’s transition to more environmentally friendly modes of transport.
“Of course, we sympathise with anyone experiencing disruption due to this work but as with any major infrastructure project there may be delays or issues that arise during its course. The underground works around Four Banks were particularly difficult to navigate and as a result there has been disruption.
“In order to repair voids found under the service it was imperative to take the extra time to ensure the final road layout was safe.
“However, the works are on course to be completed by the end of the year, only slightly behind the original end date of September, supported by additional work crews the Council has assigned specifically to ensure that it is completed on schedule.”
[ad_2]
Source link