Latest news with #MikeMcCusker
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Salford: Bike lane roadworks causing 'gridlock'
Complaints about gridlock caused by work to install bus lanes on a city centre road have prompted a council to Council began work on Chapel Street in April with a finish date of April 2026 but a road closure which came into effect on 5 May has caused long Street has been shut westbound from Blackfriars Road to New Bailey Street with some motorists reporting "hour-long queues" and residents saying they have "never seen it like this before".A council spokesperson said that the "one-way closure on Chapel Street represents the best solution currently available to deliver the works safely and efficiently". 'Extensive excavations' They said the council sought to balance the needs of local residents and businesses while maintaining the operation of public transport and general traffic asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service why the works were set to take a year, lead member for planning, transport and sustainable development Mike McCusker said "extensive excavations" were needed to accommodate the work required."The contractor has to carry these works out safely for the workforce and the public whilst maintaining access for buses, residents, businesses and general traffic in the city centre where there is very limited space and high congestion," he work also includes the installation of more pedestrian areas and extra room for buses. Commuter Helen Marsh said on social media that it took her "one-and-a-half hours to do a 13-mile journey from Leigh into Manchester [on] Thursday morning" using the A6."It was gridlocked, cars blocking junctions because the lights turn before you can move, horns beeping everywhere," she added. She said it was putting people off travelling into the city the first week of the closure Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said it had spoken to Salford Council to see if any tweaks could be made."We met with Salford Council and other key partners... to investigate the causes of the disruption in more detail and are exploring options to ease the build-up of traffic along Chapel Street going forward, including potential changes to traffic light sequencing at the junction of Blackfriars Street," a TfGM spokesperson said. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The vision for how Salford will look by 2042
Plans for the future of Salford are moving forward. A vision for how the city will look and feel by 2042 is being drawn up in the second part of Salford council's local plan, a document known as the borough's 'core strategy and allocations.' It includes plans for housing and jobs, as well as changes to how people get around. READ MORE: Girl, 4, dies in Manchester house fire with woman arrested READ MORE: M62 traffic diversion route as 'serious' crash leaves motorway closed in Greater Manchester On housing, there are plans in the pipeline to build at least 33,000 homes by 2042. But the number is more likely to be much higher at around 40,000, as Salford has also adopted the Greater Manchester Places for Everyone scheme. Salford's plan for the future also includes creating more than 250,000 sqm of new office floorspace and 550,000 sqm of industrial and warehousing facilities - delivering a massive boost to the local economy and creating new jobs. The plan states that a 'large proportion of new housing and office development' will be focused in the city centre and Salford Quays - called key growth areas - with industry and warehousing focused around Port Salford in the south-west part of the city. Around 85 per cent of new development is set to be built on previously developed land and existing buildings which are currently empty, the plan states. In the city centre and Salford Quays areas, new housing is set to focus on apartments and duplexes, with more houses within the inner-city areas such as Eccles and Ordsall, and further out towards the edges of the borough. There are also big plans around Salford Community Stadium which the council recently bought, developing with a focus on tourism, business, as well as industry and warehousing. On transport, the council is planning to 'minimise the need to travel' and encourage more sustainable methods of transport, reducing the number of car journeys being made in the city by increasing the scale and density of development work. These plans also fit into upgrades to walking and cycling facilities set to take place across the city, such as along Chapel Street. The vision for the city's future includes allocating more land at Duchy Road for new accommodation for gypsies and travellers. This is to meet the 'significant need' for new plots for travelling showpeople, and will be located directly to the north of the existing gypsy and traveller site in the area. Neighbourhoods around Salford will get their own specific plans, outlining how the areas will develop in future. Salford council's local plan is set to be adopted by autumn 2026, and recently went through a ten-week public consultation from December until February 2025. Coun Mike McCusker, Salford council's lead member for planning, transport and Sustainable development, said: 'Core strategy and allocations is an important final element for Salford's local plan. 'It builds on Places for Everyone and the Salford local plan: development management policies and designations, to support the continuing sustainable growth of a fairer Salford, fostering neighbourhoods where all communities can thrive. 'This part of the local plan sets out how and where Salford's growth will happen, and how we'll ensure that this growth happens alongside a high-quality and resilient natural and built environment. 'There's still a lot of work to do on the local plan as we progress, and we hope that the local community engages with this process as much as possible.'
