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Metrolink shaker
Reporter: Andrew Rudkin
Date online: 20 December 2011
A HOUSE has been shaking “like being in an earthquake” since Metrolink work started in Shaw, a homeowner claims.
Dennise Worsley, whose property backs on to the tram works, has been putting up with vibrations since the summer — and is worried her home could be damaged, since cracks have appeared.
Dennise, (47), of Oswald Road, said: “I am getting the same feeling in the house as when we had a small earthquake a few years ago. We physically move sometimes when work is going on, and it is getting worse.”
Dennise, a technical officer at Royal Oldham Hospital, is furious that Transport for Greater Manchester, which is in charge of the Metrolink scheme, has done nothing to stop the problem, she claims. Dennise, who has lived in the property for more than 20 years, fears the structure of her home is being affected.
She said: “There is a big crack running down the wall underneath a window.
“I am worried this could be very expensive. Yes, we have house insurance, but why should I go through them with Transport for Greater Manchester not even having a look first.”
TfGM told the Chronicle the complaint by the Worsley family has been investigated and “vibration monitoring” has been carried out by contractor MPT.
A TFGM spokesperson said: “This showed that vibration levels remained well below the British standard — indeed, they did not exceed MPT’s self-set threshold, which is a third lower.
“Vibration levels below the British standard are not considered substantial enough to cause any cosmetic damage and, as a result, MPT does not believe any damage has been caused by the works carried out in this area. We have explained this to Mr and Mrs Worsley in writing but would be happy to sit down and talk to them to discuss this further.”
Comments
Those of us old enough to remember will tell you that Oswald Street was built on sand in the late 60s/early 70s and quite probably that is what the trouble is here. The houses were one of the first to be made in the "concrete pontoon" style and subsidence caused by heavy plant moving up and down the railway line is now making the houses shift.
Trains moving along a railway line take forward momentum and cause no weight to be placed on the sandy earth. I feel ssorry for them.
Is there actually any good news about the Metrolink? Does anyone have anything good to say about it? I notice our elected representatives are keeping a very low profile other than the odd moan about it.
Only this week the Altrincham Chorlton & Eccles lines were closed after vandalism, so far as I see the scheme is a disaster, it will continue to be when it is running, and no one seems to want to take responsibility - what a surprise!
@Flake It will be a bigger white elephant than St Peters Precinct. I once asked the then leader of the council how Metrolink was going to regenerate Oldham and the stark answer was that there were no defined plans, just a hope it would stimulate the private sector to invest in Oldham! There is absolutely no evidence of this to date & there won'r be.What useful land there was at Mumps will be a car park.
Wer had the same problem all summer here on Spencer Street Chadderton. The company involved sent a structural engineer to test the vibration levels,what a con hardly anything that day yet the day after it was awful so much so my daughter who is in a wheelchair was watching tv and the vibration moved the chair even though the brakes were on.
Have Your Say
this is just the tip of the iceburg.
just wait till the metrolink is up and running along union street.
having worked on various designs of new buildings that have been build adjacent to the tram lines in manchester i know what requirements are needed to compe with such vibrations caused by trams running close by.
only four or five existing buildings along union street may be able to withstand such forces.
the rest will suffer.
only been mentioning this for 3 years now!
By fedupoldhamer @ 20/12/2011 15:43:05