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Mystery of missing park and ride plan
Reporter: Alan Salter
Date online: 24 November 2009
MEMBERS of a railway pressure group are demanding answers to the mystery of vanishing car parking spaces at one of Oldham’s two remaining railway stations.
Middleton councillor Alan Godson protested that Mills Hill station in Chadderton — Greater Manchester’s second busiest unstaffed station — is missing from a list of 18 park and ride sites to be finished by 2012 in the county’s new £1.5 billion transport plans.
But he was told by GMPTE chief executive David Leather that Mills Hill had never been considered for extra car parking spaces.
Now the Support the Oldham, Rochdale & Manchester Rail Lines Group (STORM) want to meet transport bosses and Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority members from Oldham and Rochdale at the station to explain.
They also want to show them just how critical the parking situation has become there as even more passengers flock to the station following the closure of the Oldham Loop line.
Speaking to the Chronicle after a meeting of Greater Manchester Policy Committee, Councillor Godson said: “When they were trying to get the Transport Innovation Fund bid through, I am sure that they were promising extra car park spaces at Mills Hill. They are certainly needed.”
Investigations by the Chronicle have established that Mills Hill was indeed pinpointed in papers produced by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities — as well as publicity material as a park and ride site. The consultation brochure which was delivered to every home stated: “Park and ride facilities will be improved and extended to provide an additional 1,800 spaces across the following stations: Stalybridge, Rochdale, Mills Hill, Horwich Parkway, Heald Green, Cheadle Hulme, Hazel Grove, and Romiley.
STORM member Richard Greenwood said: “The vital need for increased Park and Ride at Mills Hill has been recognised for 20 years or more. Surrounding roads are clogged with parked cars.”
And fellow member Dave Winter added: “Cars are now parking half on the pavement under the bridge at Mills Hill, making it difficult for other traffic, leaving little room to walk past.
“This was predictable once the Oldham Loop closed.”
The plans also include park and ride sites former stations which will become Metrolink stops at Oldham Mumps (300 spaces), Shaw (180), Hollinwood (200), and Derker (155).
Comments
also i might add that i have notice that ombc have meddled with traffic lights yet again to cause havoc and jams.
the sequences at manchester rd below omc and at huddersfield road and shaw rd junction.
they hardly let any traffic through and its the main direction of traffic too.
ombc cannot organise and run anything right!
How many times do the Chronicle newshounds need telling.Mills Hill station is NOT in Chadderton. The only rail station left in the borough of Oldham is at Greenfield.
fedupoldhamer - it's by saying no to the congestion charge that you said no to billions of pounds of funding so don't complain that nothing is being done now!
Er...I think Mills Hill is in Chadderton.
But don't forget the liberals have already put the con charge on your council tax for a number of years to come, its wonderfull spent 8 mins to get from the coop in lees to salem, just think of all that pollution
ammypam did you read what oldham was getting in the con charge? obviously not. oldham was getting nothing. the scheme for oldham included almost everything it was already getting. all except the pointless union st section.
when i asked at one of the roadshows about extra trains and longer ones they didnt confirm which lines would get them.
with all the unknowns it had to be a no!
Have Your Say
nothing has been done at all. no more buses. no more trains from other stations.
oldham has just been forgotten about. im so glad we didnt tie ourselves up with a con charge this time last year. we'd have been forking out for nothing!
By fedupoldhamer @ 24/11/2009 15:21:01