While more COVID-19 testing sites in Salford should be welcomed, residents in Swinton are angry that a new twelve hour walk-in testing centre has been plonked on their doorsteps this weekend with no consultation or information...
"We had absolutely no notification or communication of any sort from Salford Council with regards to setting it up, and no communication since it's been set up with regards to numbers, times or anything" says Julie Harper, who lives directly in line with the centre which is on the site of the old Ambrose Barlow High School.
"The only information we've had is when we have spoken to the people on site who have told us it will be open 8am to 8pm seven days a week" she adds "There are no facilities for parking, with potentially six slots at a time. It's in a very built up area, in an extremely busy access road that's already used as a rat run to avoid the junction at Partington Lane.
"One of the big issues we have is with the generator and the lights, which give out both noise and light pollution" she explains "After Friday night when the generator was on all night, they said they'd set the timer to be battery only with no noise 8pm until 8am overnight – it kicked in all night on and off, while the lights were shining right into our houses.
"We have no point of contact with Salford Council to support us" she says "We've basically been left alone. Nobody from the Council seems to be interested or has been down to speak with us. We can't find out who we need to speak to and none of our local councillors seem to know the real position. Councillor Heather Fletcher has said three months initially but the people on site have said 'as long as required'. It's already causing a massive amount of stress and is ruining our lives. We feel extremely helpless, we don't know what to do."
Residents argue that the centre hasn't had change of use planning permission and that the it should have been put elsewhere on nearby half-empty industrial estates, like Wardley Industrial Estate, that can cope with heavy volumes of traffic and have parking facilities in place.
"It's been bedlam in this street" says Sandra Robinson whose house is directly in line with the entrance "We've had people shouting at 8:15 on a Sunday morning when my husband just got in from a night shift. It's ridiculous and where are all the people going to park? They are going to park as near as possible to the entrance. I've already had JCBs park in front of my path."
The old school has already been used as offices, a film set and more, and this is the final straw for the neighbours... "Salford Council just wants the revenue" says Sandra "They will use it for whatever they want and bugger the residents."
There is an argument that the centre is for the public good but the residents aren't having it, saying the Council could get revenue from a host of its other sites..."We would like to know the justification for putting it in a residential area on a very busy road with no parking facilities" says Julie "None of us can understand why they have put it here...."
Salford City Council does not speak to the Salford Star therefore no comment is forthcoming.
For details of the latest COVID-19 statistics for Salford see previous article – click here
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