Delay in Prestwich cafe culture project
WITH CATALOGUE OF HOLD-UPS
WORKS on a controversial scheme to reduce the main road through Prestwich to a single lane in both directions have been postponed due to a catalogue of blunders.
The work should have started in March and signs were put up to warn motorists of 35 weeks of delays. But the £2m project has not started yet and it may not now meet its November deadline for being finished.
Council bosses said the redevelopment would improve the village’s shopping area and bring a ‘lively’ main road cafe culture.
Wider pavements, on-street parking bays, new bus lay-bys and bus stops and cycle lanes are to feature in the scheme alongside new pavements and street lighting. But residents fear long traffic tailbacks as vehicles battle through roadworks along the currently double-lane route to get to the M60 motorway or Manchester.
After questions from local Liberal Democrats, Bury council has admitted the scheme, along the A56, has been delayed. According to the council responses:
The main contractor struggled with resources to meet the original start date.
Trial holes have demonstrated that some tree positions were not achievable due to underground services which has necessitated some redesign work.
Some traffic modelling inconsistencies needed to be addressed.
The business case for contributory funding from Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been waiting for approval.
Liberal Democrats also asked whether the delays would impact on the finish date and overlap into Christmas.
The council said: “The last element of the works will be the resurfacing works. A roadworks embargo is usually put in place across Greater Manchester at the beginning of December and Highways England have plans to undertake works to J17 and J18 around this time. If these impact negatively on the Prestwich High Street works, it may be that the resurfacing works have to be completed in the New Year.”
Liberal Democrat councillor Mary D’Albert, who said: “It seems amazing the signs ever went up when so many things were still to be sorted.”
St Mary’s Labour councillor Jane Black said the plans bring ‘much needed investment’ for Prestwich and improve pedestrian safety .