The proposed A666 bus lane between Irlams O'Th' Height roundabout and the M60 junction at Clifton part of the £39million Salford Bolton Network Improvements (SBNI) has long been a controversial plan, with a Facebook group the Stop the A666 Bus Lane Madness having over three hundred members.
Now the host of that group, local resident Paul Brighouse, has written to the chair of Salford Council's Growth and Prosperity Scrutiny Panel asking for the decision to go ahead with the bus lane to be 'called in'.
He gives eleven reasons why he believes the decision was flawed, citing a lack of public consultation when the original proposal was first introduced by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) in 2016, and that a decision had already been made by the time a consultation was carried out in 2018.
He adds that "During and after the consultation, Urban Vision staff gave incorrect information" to the public, and that there was a 'conflict of interest' as the company not only gave guidance to the Council on the scheme but would also financially benefit from it. And more...
"A traffic survey had been undertaken by TfGM prior to the Traffic Advisory Panel, but its findings didn't appear at the Panel" he adds "Several local people spoke to the surveyors to be told that there was no justification for a bus lane going ahead. So information against the officer views were not presented to the Panel, only one sided information."
He also states that a Lead Member Briefing by Councillor Antrobus was cancelled the night before the meeting after local people had not been informed of it, nor received minutes of the Traffic Advisory Panel.
Numerous emails asking for information on the scheme were sent to the City Mayor, ward councillors and Council staff, he alleges, only to be met with a 'wall of silence', bar one response from Councillor Mike Pevitt, and another late one from the Mayor on the eve of a crucial meeting..."The City Mayor's email didn't answer any of the questions asked and just had a standard response he had been given by Traffic Officers".
He explains: "The whole argument for the bus lane has been based upon a false argument from officers that four buses would benefit from the bus lane and that three minutes would be cut off the journey from Bolton to Manchester...Only one bus uses the whole length of the bus lane. The other three use it for very short distances and do not actually go into Manchester."
Paul Brighouse concludes that "The very premise of the bus lane is based upon weak evidence and a lack of consultation and discussion within the Council with local people...".
For a full background see previous Salford Star article: 'Bonkers' Salford Bus lane On The Devil's Road click here
Read the full letter below...
Dear Cllr Sharpe,
I have been told that you chair the Council's Growth and Prosperity Committee and that the decision to call in the A666 bus lane lies with you?
I currently host a facebook page of 372 people in opposition to the bus lane and ask that you call the decision in for the following reasons:
1) The original proposals for the Salford Bolton Network Improvements (SBNI) were introduced by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) in 2016 after discussions with Salford and Bolton Councils.
At no point were any consultation undertaken with local people on this and people living on the A666 were NOT notified of any proposals at all in 2016.
2) Salford Council and Urban Vision began consultations with local people in 2018. All documents produced stated that it was a "Proposed bus lane".
All local people involved in the discussions were under the impression that a decision to implement the bus scheme had NOT yet been made.
Why put 'Proposed' on all the paperwork if the decision had been made previously?
3) During and after the consultation, Urban Vision staff gave incorrect information to different members of the public with staff often contradicting Council staff. At least one formal complaint was made during this period.
4) At a meeting of the Traffic Advisory Panel, the chair Cllr Antrobus surprised local people attending, by stating - at the end of the meeting - that the decision for the bus lane had been taken elsewhere and that the Traffic Advisory Panel were only looking at the road markings involved in the matter.
Local people attending, were under the impression that they were attending to state their objections to the bus lane.
5) A traffic survey had been undertaken by TfGM prior to the Traffic Advisory Panel, but its findings didn't appear at the Panel. Several local people spoke to the Surveyors to be told that there was no justification for a bus lane going ahead.
So information against the Officer views were not presented to the Panel, only one sided information.
6) Local people tried to find out more about the 'proposed' bus lane, but correspondence between the City Mayor, Ward Councillors and Council staff has been one sided. Numerous emails have been sent out to a wall of silence.
Only Cllr Pevitt responded apart from a very late email the night before a meeting off the City Mayor. The email to the Mayor and Cllrs were routinely chased up to be continually ignored.
Council clerking staff that promised to send out minutes of meetings never did. We can provide copies of the emails sent if required.
7) A Lead Member Briefing by Cllr Antrobus was cancelled the night before the meeting when the Cllr realised that local people had NOT been informed of the meeting, nor received minutes of the Traffic Advisory Panel.
In fact after being ignored by the City Mayor for 2 months (including 2 reminders) an email off the City Mayor arrived the night before the Lead Member Briefing, resulting in correspondence with Cllr Antrobus and his decision to cancel the meeting.
The City Mayor's email didn't answer any of the questions asked and just had a standard response he had been given by Traffic Officers.
8) Cllr Antrobus approved the Traffic Regulations and his Officers' recommendations, I asked if guidance from Urban Vision Officers were not a conflict of interest as they are to implement the scheme and will financially benefit from it. He didn't think that it was a problem.
He also doesn't know how much the bus lane will cost, in spite of just authorising it. Seemingly nobody does at present as nobody has actually put a price on it. Correspondence around this issue can be sent to you if required.
9) The whole argument for the bus lane has been based upon a false argument from Officers that 4 buses would benefit from the bus lane and that 3 minutes would be cut off the journey from Bolton to Manchester.
Only 1 bus uses the whole length of the bus lane. The other 3 use it for very short distances and do not actually go into Manchester.
The Officers argument also states that cars from Bolton to Manchester would also save 2 minutes from their journey.
This means that for a car driver to use a bus, they would only gain 1 minute in comparison to the status quo in their car.
10) The bus company involved has changed since the decision was taken. It was First Direct - whose management told local residents that they had not been consulted about the bus lane.
The route is now managed by Diamond, I very much doubt has anyone spoken to them about the bus lane. Should they not be brought into the discussion?
11) The bus lane is 2 miles long. Currently nobody knows how much of the £39 million (+£7 million contingency) the bus lane will cost.
But, is it really worth the interruption down 2 miles of road, for 6 hours a day - stupidly the bus lane would be in effect when all the traffic goes the opposite way between 4-7pm - for all the residents and businesses along the stretch?
Urban Vision state that they don't care where residents park during the bus lane times, apart from if vehicles start to block side roads when they would then introduce restrictions!
Has any analysis been done around trade that local businesses lose out on from passing trade being unable to stop outside for 6 hours a day?
The very premise of the bus lane is based upon weak evidence and a lack of consultation and discussion within the Council with local people.
I could go out tonight with a pot of paint and change road markings to save time for all users of the A666 without a vast expense and interruption to people along the route.
Liverpool Council have suspended all bus lanes and the bus lane suspension near Salford Royal Hospital has IMPROVED traffic flow.
It seems that this white elephant is based on Officers desperate to spend a pot of money before it is lost, without any common sense, thought or true discussions with local people whom would very happily give ideas to improve traffic flow.
As such, I ask you to call in the decision.
Paul Brighouse
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
(3).jpeg)
.png)
(1).JPG)
