Furniture store’s congestion fear

A TOP furnishing company and its employees could lose a fortune under controversial congestion charge proposals.

Many staff at Housing Units in Hollinwood would be charged for going from one half of the business to the other.

And bosses fear some customers who will have to pay the charge when they shop, may simply choose to stay away.

Housing Units is only a couple of minutes inside the proposed M60 charging zone.

Despite concessions made to save Oldhamers paying the congestion charge, the firm says it is still “piggy in the middle”.

Housing Units has its store in Wickentree Lane, and its headquarters in near-by Tweedale Way.

To get from one to the other there will be a charge as the charging zone boundary would be crossed.

Stuart Fox, retail operations director, said staff were angry at the proposals.

They have now joined a leading Greater Manchester “No to the Congestion Charge” protest group.

He said: “We are a local business who employ predominantly local people.

“We feel firstly that the charge would be unfair to our staff — many of whom would have to pay the charge to make a 10-minute journey to work.

“We have a store in Wickentree Lane and a head office in Tweedale Way.

“It would not be possible for staff to get from one to the other without being charged.

“This is designed for people who work in Manchester where wages are higher.

“The charge would also put customers off coming here.

“If they were not charged coming they would most likely be charged on the way home.

“Mid-week customers are often leaving between 4 and 6pm when the charge would be in force.

“We think this is a very poor idea for us which would not help our business at all.”

Under the plans, charges would apply Monday to Friday, between 7.30am and 9.30am and 4.30pm to 7pm.

Two charge bands would apply — a £2 charge for crossing the M60 and a £1 charge for crossing Manchester’s inner ring road.