Residents in vow to stop bypass plans
ANGRY residents have held a meeting to discuss how to stop a major bypass potentially being built through countryside on their doorstep.
A council feasibility study was published earlier this year looking at taking the A6 SEMMS relief road from Hazel Grove through the Goyt and Poise Brook valleys to the M60 at Bredbury. It is expected a business case for the road will be published within the next month. But residents on the proposed route in Offerton say they have not been informed of the proposals and aired their views at a meeting at Offerton Community Centre.
ANGRY residents have held a meeting to discuss how to stop a major bypass potentially being built through countryside on their doorstep.
A council feasibility study was published earlier this year looking at taking the A6 SEMMS relief road from Hazel Grove through the Goyt and Poise Brook valleys to the M60 at Bredbury.
It is expected a business case for the road will be published within the next month but the council say no firm decision on whether to press ahead has been made.
But residents en-route in Offerton say they have not been informed of the proposals and aired their views at a meeting at Offerton Community Centre.
It was organised by members of the Goyt Valley SOS group, who are campaigning to prevent the bypass extension being built through countryside, at an estimated cost of £600m.
Rachel Houghton, the group’s chair, says that people thinking of moving into the area are also being left in the dark.
She said: “Searches by people buying houses near the route do not turn up the bypass plans. This is very upsetting for the people involved.
“It is the council’s bypass plan and they should take responsibility for the trouble it is causing people.”
Shirley Thompson, an Offerton resident, added: “I knew nothing about the bypass until my daughter found a campaign leaflet last week. I was really shocked.”
During the meeting a resolution was passed to ‘object to the failure of Stockport Council to tell us anything about the bypass’ - and to demand that the council talks to residents before any further decisions are made.
Councillor Alex Ganotis, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “The outline business case is being drafted and no proposals have been made as of yet – as soon as the this is completed, it will be released to the public.
“Timescales for developing this can be found in our forward plan, which is publicly available.
“Even if we develop a full business case, this still will not mean money to take the project forward will have been secured.
“Even if this money is secured for this, subsequent development plans will still then be subject to full public consultation and environmental impact assessments before any final decision.”