Howard Sykes questions and replies on transport matters at the Council Meeting 17th July

Please find attached the responses to the questions/observations asked by Councillor Sykes at the last Full Council meeting relating to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) Joint Authority Minutes.

1. Can a further pay station be placed at Derker Tram Stop?

The additional pay station has been ordered and will be installed shortly.

2. Further to the use of companies with high interest rates using the Bus Station to solicit customers can they be kicked out?

TfGM derive income from a number of licensed companies who are allowed to use Bus Stations.

The Chair of the Bus Network Committee has agreed for a report to go to the next meeting to consider the list of those presently authorised to use Bus Stations and whether they are suitable companies.

3. Not one person has used the subsidised route to Kingsway Business Park via Royton and Sholver. We should be looking at better connectivity throughout the Borough.

TfGM are consulting with Oldham’s transport officers to promote usage and increase numbers on this service.

This service will shortly be reviewed and will include in that process new stopping points including Shaw.

ELECTRICITY CABLE LAYING OLDHAM ROAD, SHAW

I have just received the contractors expected programme for completion of the above works:

The joint bay currently open in the grass verge on Blackshaw Lane near to its junction with Balmoral Avenue has been backfilled and is awaiting top soil to be placed.

The joint bay at the top of Blackshaw Lane near to its junction with Perth Street will have the last joint completed today and should be backfilled today, with final reinstatement taking place Wednesday/Thursday.

The joint bay currently open on Oldham Road near to its junction with Otmoor Way should have the jointing complete Wednesday.

A second joint bay will be opened on Oldham Road in the vicinity of no. 152 this morning. All the cables should be pulled through to this bay by Wednesday evening and the jointing will then commence with a view to close this bay down by Thursday evening.

The last joint bay, which was previously opened on Oldham Road near to its junction with Longley Street but temporarily shut down, will be re-opened Friday to allow the final jointing work to be completed over the weekend, with the reinstatement being completed Sunday/Monday.

As explained by Electricity North West at the presentation given to the District Partnership on June 3rd, in order to carry out the operation of pulling through the cable and jointing, it will be necessary to have three joint bays open at any one time. The last run along Oldham Road, between Bullcote Lane and the Big Lamp roundabout, will undoubtedly be the most disruptive.

The temporary signals along Oldham Road will be manned during the working day between 07.00am and 18.00pm and the operatives will be in touch using two way radios. While every effort will be made to minimise disruptions, unfortunately some disruption will occur.

Friday Waste Collection Shaw 12th July

Due to exceptionally high tonnages and participation there are a number of uncompleted collections.

Shaw, Crompton – Green Waste

Shaw, Comingled (brown bins and black caddies)

To ensure this does not have a knock on effect into next week there will be a a crew completing this work tomorrow morning.

Please leave your bins out for collection on Saturday 13th July.

Chatsworth Close – footpath/back gate & steps rear of Buckstones School

I am pleased to report the above steps will be improved and remodelled during the summer school holidays and a hand rail will also be provided.

Hopefully this should make it easier for all users.

I asked the council to look at this problem when approached by users of these steps.

Funding for these works has come for the small delegated budget councillors Rod Blyth, Mark Alcock and I have direct influence over.

Beal Lane, Shaw-Temporary Road Closure, commencing Mon July 22nd 2013 for 2 weeks

Temporary road closure to part of Beal Lane (Jubilee Street to Metro Crossing).

This is due to road and footway resurfacing/reconstruction.

Below are the details of when road is closed:

7am – 7pm, Mon – Fri and Sun if required.
5am – 8pm, Sat.

Pedestrian access along Beal Lane and to the Metrolink station will be maintained at all times.

Delivery access to be maintained to distribution centres at all times except for the Saturday closures.

The road will be open to traffic at the end of each working day.

Alternative Route: Beal Lane/Grains Road/Hillside Avenue/Buckstones Road/Milnrow Road/Crompton Way/Rochdale Road/Beal Lane, in both directions.

Please note the dates / times of the closure at Beal Lane as it will not be closed for the entire two week duration of work. The two Saturday closure dates have been agreed in advance with the distribution centres, who have arranged that no deliveries will take place during the agreed hours of working.

It has been arranged that deliveries to the distribution centres will be able to get through the closure along Beal Lane from Shaw Town Centre during the weekday closures; this in effect means that it will not be necessary for HGV delivery vehicles to use the diversion route at any time.

All other vehicles will use the diversion route.

If you have any questions regarding the work please direct them to Nigel Molden at nigel.molden@unitypartnership.com or 0161 770 1952

Crompton Moor – walkers take care

I have been asked to circulate this by a regular user of the Moor.

During the last few weeks I have noticed a increasing number of mine workings coming to light along the old tramway at the coal limits at the rear of the masts.

This tramway runs along the route of Pylon ZPA 41 to ZPA 42. It runs to Huddersfield Road under the cables. If you walk on this route it’s advisable to keep to the path and any dogs under control.

These workings are shafts, and are 3ft to 6ft wide and range from a sink up to 6ft. There is one about 100ft or so on your right as you walk down towards Huddersfield Road, its flooded I nearly lost one of my dogs in it this afternoon.

I have no way yet of knowing how deep the water is I will wait until it starts to dry out and see. The water stinks like aluminium sulphates, but this shaft was not there last year.

I will log them all over the next few weeks and report them to OMBC and the Coal Authority

Work to help and support blast victims continues

Copy of a letter delivered to residents in the blast area.

I am pleased we have managed to do this for local residents again.

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Dear Residents

As a lot of the building works are coming to completion and more residents are returning to their homes, Oldham Council will be providing another opportunity for residents to dispose of unwanted items.

To continue with our support of the local community to return to normality, we propose to supply 3 large skips for the use of the residents which will be placed at the following locations:

• Edmond Street
• Corner of Chancery and Buckley Street
• Oak Street – section directly to the rear of Buckley Street.

These will be in place from Friday 3 May with a planned removal on Tuesday 7 May. However, should there still be spare capacity for more items, this period will be extended.

Once these skips have been removed, no additional skips will be provided by the Council.

Should you have any further large items that need to be removed, these should be booked through the normal process of Bulky Bobs Service on 770 6644. Please note that this may incur a fee.

As usual all general household black bag waste should be placed in the normal refuse bins provided.

Oldham Council fully appreciates your support in this matter.

SMALLBROOK ROAD, SHAW – EMERGENCY ROAD CLOSURE

As residents may be aware it was necessary to temporarily close part of Smallbrook Road, Shaw due to subsidence in the road.

It was also necessary to introduce two way traffic on a section of Smallbrook Road that was previously one way out onto Milnrow Road.

This temporary system has allowed the Council us to maintain two way traffic serving the Duchess Street area.

I have been informed this morning by the contractor that the original problem was located and repaired, however, a further water main burst has occurred which is being worked on at present.

The contractor has indicated that by Wednesday evening / Thursday they hope to have the road open again.

If this changes significantly I will update this posting accordingly.