Shop owners battle to move stop

SHAW & Crompton Parish Council is backing shopkeepers’ proposals to relocate a troublesome bus stop.

Owners on Market Street, Shaw, say they are struggling with people causing damage to their shops and littering outside while waiting for buses.

They asked councillors to support their proposal to move the bus stop to the end of Newtown Street —away from businesses.

Kirsty Simister, who owns Interiors, reported how damage is being caused to her shop window due to people picking at window frames, smoking in the entrances and even standing inside her shop when it rains. She said when she asks people to move away from her shop door she is given verbal abuse.

Andy Mills, owner of A Shaw Thing, said: “They sit on my window sill waiting for the bus and they’ve actually loosened my window by leaning against it. There’s not a great deal that can be done — confrontation just makes matters worse. It seems a simple answer if we just move the bus stop to the end of Newtown Street.”

Ms Simister had written to GMPTE proposing the new bus stop location to which they replied that a route development officer had visited the site.

The officers said they felt installation of a shelter may not be supported by the local ward councillors.

But councillor Howard Sykes said: “They never asked me as a ward councillor. I will take that further: I don’t like people putting words in my mouth.”

The parish agreed to write to GMPTE requesting the bus stop’s move to the end of Newtown Street — and that ward and parish councillors fully support the move.