Residents call for crossing on busy Godley road

PEOPLE have had enough of having to dodge speeding traffic along a major road and are calling for a crossing to be put in.

About 500 residents have signed a petition demanding one be placed on Mottram Road in the Godley area of Hyde because of the issues.

One woman even claims she was forced to move house because of not being able to cope with cars, buses and wagons making the A57 dangerous.

Mary Teresa Creedon helped organise the petition, which has the backing of local councillor Andrea Colbourne.

She said: “I really struggle with the road, so I went around all the houses in the area and gathered about 500 signatures.

“That’s a lot of people. A crossing would make a difference because people all get off the bus here. We want some sort of crossing so it’s safe for everyone to cross the road, whether that’s elderly people or children from  the nearby primary school.

Campaigners at Mottram Road in Godley – image by GGC Media

“Besides that, the traffic needs to slow down. We need a camera across from Godley Station because they’re speeding down from Hattersley and when they get here, the speed is terrible.

“Anyone coming out of the park could be in danger. I haven’t got a car, so I see this every day.”

Jule Jerram has also experienced the effects the amount of traffic and its speed can cause.

She said: “I’ve ended up literally selling my house and moving up the road. The main reason really was this road.

“They’re supposed to be encouraging active travel in Greater Manchester. There should be a cycle lane.

People have asked for a crossing to be placed on the busy road

“It’s a main bus route, which is why there are double yellow lines, but there’s no bus lane. There are bus stops, there’s a train station, there’s a nursery but there’s absolutely nowhere to cross.

“I’ve been trying to lobby the council but have been getting nowhere really. I’ve been trying to get some stats from the police but the only one they’ve given me is they’ve given speeding fine to people.”

Clle Colbourne, whose set is up for election this year as part of the ‘all-out’ vote in Tameside, believes Tameside Council will only put in a crossing if the controversial Godley Green housing development goes ahead.

But she feels there is already a need for one for people living in the St Paul’s Hill area.

She said: “We’re trying to get a crossing that will service St Paul’s Hill but the council has said it won’t ‘unless we have more houses built’ – ie Godley Green.

“My argument, though, is the police have been in the area and had loads of people for speeding. There are more cars on the road, there are more people living in houses.

“It’s a busy road.”

A Tameside Council spokesperson told The Correspondent: “Mottram Road (A57), Hyde, is a classified road that also serves as part of the diversion route for traffic when there are issues on the M67.

Mottram Road in Godley

“When a Highway Authority assesses a location for a pedestrian crossing it has to consider factors such as minimum visibility for pedestrians and vehicles, where pedestrians wish to cross the road and the impact on frontage property.

“In this instance, it is not clear where a crossing could be located that would satisfy the design criteria for safety, whilst still in a location that is desirable to pedestrians.

“With limited public funds, new pedestrian crossings are prioritised in areas where there is a history of recorded injury road traffic collisions. However, regardless of funding, if a crossing location is not deemed safe, by meeting the safety design criteria, it could not be installed.

“Regarding the speed of vehicles using Mottram Road, the traditional traffic calming measures used on roads, can adversely affect larger vehicles and, if the route is of considerable length, response times for emergency vehicles.

“It is not felt that Mottram Road, as a recognised motorway diversion route, is suitable for traffic calming.”