Residents in Levenshulme are expressing frustration over what they describe as 'atrocious' traffic congestion, with fears that planned housing developments could make the situation 'catastrophic'. Pat Walsh, a 65-year-old resident of Anchor Close near Barlow Road, reports that during rush hour it can take up to 30 minutes to travel just 200 yards down the road.
Current Traffic Woes
According to Mr. Walsh, traffic is solid from 7am to 10am and again from 3pm to 6:30pm, sometimes backing up a mile into Reddish. He said: 'At peak times from seven in the morning through till ten, and in the evenings from three until half past six, you can have solid traffic coming right the way down this road. Sometimes it goes all the way up into Reddish, which is about a mile away.'
Another resident, Mobeen Farooq, 38, also on Anchor Close, relies on his car for work and is concerned about worsening conditions: 'There will be problems [when the homes are built], I'll get stuck in the morning trying to get out, the road can be really bad. And we don't know where we'll be able to park either.'
Housing Developments on the Horizon
Manchester council's planning committee approved a Southway Housing Trust application on July 9 for 50 affordable homes on the former Levenshulme Cricket Club site, which has been vacant for several years and is overgrown. The development includes 21 homes for affordable rent and 29 for shared ownership. Additionally, plans exist for up to 200 homes on the 'Secret Lake' bordering Levenshulme and Reddish, and over 300 homes on nearby Mount Road are under construction.
Mr. Walsh stressed he is not against new housing but feels residents are not being heard: 'The traffic on this road could be catastrophic at peak times, it's going to be really bad. It won't be a road, it'll be a car park essentially, and there will be fumes and congestion everywhere, with upset and angry people getting late for work and school, it's going to be a disaster really.'
Limited Public Transport Options
Residents note that public transport is scarce, with the nearest bus stop a 20-minute walk away on Stockport Road for the 192 service, forcing many to rely on cars. Some, like a 72-year-old woman named Ann who did not want to give her surname, are more supportive: 'Parking is already an issue on Elsa Road, my daughter can't always park here when she visits. But I'm in favour of it [the new housing plans], because everyone needs a roof over their heads.'
Council and Developer Responses
A council officer stated at the planning meeting that highways had 'no objections' regarding access, and the council's report said: 'Highways have no concerns about highway safety issues within the vicinity of the site, based on the submitted accident analysis assessment. There are no objections raised to impacts on the local road network and junction capacity from the number of trips generated. Highways note the site can be well accessed by sustainable modes.'
Jonathan Turner, Southway's assistant director of development, said: 'We recognise residents' concerns about local traffic and as part of planning regulations, we always carry out independent surveys to understand the impact that new homes would have on local traffic. Through the planning process our plans were reviewed by Manchester City Council, and they found that no additional changes were required to the highway. Once our homes are built and people have moved in, as well as monitoring any problems, we provide new residents with travel and transport plans to promote walking, cycling and public transport routes.'
A Manchester council spokesperson added: 'Any planning application goes through a rigorous process and all due consideration is made when it comes to any potential impact it may have on the community. Any impact of a development will be monitored and if any issues are found, they can be resolved. We do of course recognise that a lot of people have concerns around traffic and congestion in Manchester. This is why more investment is being made in schemes to improve our travel network, as well as encourage more people to walk, cycle or take public transport when getting from A to B. This is on top of the additional money that our colleagues in TfGM are putting into the public transport network.'
