By Nick Statham

People living on a busy Stockport road say they have been plagued by endless roadworks for the last two years – and want it to stop.

Manchester Road, in Heaton Chapel, has been repeatedly dug up to allow utilities firms – responsible for electricity, water, gas and internet – to carry out maintenance and upgrade work.

Residents accept it needs to be done, but are urging the council – which issues the permits – to better 'coordinate' the work and bring the 'constant' disruption to an end.

They also want town hall bosses to reclassify the route, as its current status as a 'strategic transport route' means that road signs direct traffic – including HGVs – along it, rather than the A6, the main road to Manchester. 

Locals say this compounds the issues of congestion and noise and air pollution, as well as subjecting the road to more wear and tear.

There are further complaints over traffic being pushed further down Manchester Road during last year's Active Neighbourhood trial, while the council has granted permission for further housing in the area – including the Ash Hotel development – meaning more and more vehicles are being 'dumped' on the road.

Town hall bosses say they regret the disruption to residents – but permits have been issued on an emergency basis – to ensure there is no lack of service to people in the area. 

Manchester Road is an important artery in the Heatons area (Image - Alasdair Perry)

While the status of the road is not due to be reviewed until 2025 – a previous proposal to direct traffic along Belmont Road and the A6 was previously rejected – the council says it is 'working proactively' with utilities firms to mitigate their impact on the area.

But Manchester Road resident Jo Williams says she – and her many neighbours – cannot wait another two years and wants to see the local authority take effective action now.

Jo, an NHS manager who stood for Labour at May's local elections, describes the current state of affairs as 'chaos'.

"I first started picking this issue up with the council last year because it's just ridiculous," she says. "It's just one thing after another.

"The roadworks obviously require temporary traffic lights and getting up and down the road is always really difficult. What it leads to is people getting so frustrated and jumping the lights and that kind of thing."

Jo says residents understand that utilities firms have to dig up the road to carry out essential work.

But their frustration stems from what they see as a lack of 'coordination' by the local authority.

"The council continues to allow additional properties to be developed so there's a whole new estate built on the Ash Hotel site – which is great, they look like really good properties – but that's more traffic," continues Jo, 55.

"The flats at the top of Manchester Road, again, that's more traffic and they are loading it up with more and more houses, who will obviously all require more and more utilities."

"Last year we had the Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN). There were all the trials taking place because of that, so the traffic was pushed further on to Manchester Road. It's never stopped, it's been one thing after another."

Completing the 'perfect storm' is the continuing issue of youths riding trial bikes in the area creating further issues for local drivers and pedestrians.

Fellow Manchester Road resident Damian Masters, shares her concerns."I get really annoyed," he says. "It looks like a patchwork quilt."

"We had Electricity North West last week, we had BT this week, a couple of weeks before we had United Utilities and it's constant.

"You get less than 24 hours notice it's going to happen and – for me, personally – I have got asthma, I have breathing difficulties, I can't open my windows, I can't sleep."

The 52-year-old chartered surveyor is also frustrated by the seeming lack of a joined up approach.

"If you knew as residents there was going to be four-to-six weeks I think we would all understand that if it was all coordinated, but there's no coordination. 

"And the council must have to approve the works to approve the road closures, but there's absolutely no coordination."

Ben Fountain, 43, is another Manchester Road resident who says the issue is a source of 'great frustration' 

"It's a strategic transport route – something we have complained and objected to for some time because it's physically weak – it's built on weak foundations as far as I can see," says Ben, a cyber security consultant.

"In addition we have these roadworks which seem to be never-ending from one utility to another and the council seems to provide permits for these things without any thought at all to coordination.

It's very frustrating and the quality of the information we do get if we enquire about the works is somewhat suspect.

He recalls how his car was nearly blocked in during recent works by Electricity North West – as a letter to residents did not make clear that access to homes would be on foot only – not for vehicles.

"The frustration we have seen around what's supposed to be a strategic transport route and the increase in traffic congestion and pollution is driving us spare," he says.

"I work at home so having a consistently reliable electricity supply is crucial -we accept that to move forward in society we need to do maintenance on utilities.

But he points out that if he were to get some work done on his house, he would take the opportunity to get all the necessary jobs done at the same time – not rip it up and start again a few weeks later.

What the council says

A spokesperson for Stockport Council said: "There have been ongoing issues with utility services on Manchester Road in Heaton Chapel, which has resulted in a number of visits by utility companies.

 "These works have regrettably impacted on local residents and the traffic in the immediate area. Each set of works have been described as an emergency by the utility providers to prevent a loss of service to residents.

 "We have been working proactively with the utility companies to try and mitigate their impact on the local area."

What Electricity North West says

A spokesperson for Electricity North West said: : "We recently fast-tracked a £110k scheme to replace 400m of underground electricity cables in Heaton Moor to improve reliability for 1500 homes and businesses in the area. 

"Ahead of all work we provide letters to customers and always aim to maintain access to properties wherever possible. Should a customers' vehicle ever be impacted by our work, we will make contact before work starts through our teams on site so that it can be moved."