RESIDENTS are rightly upset with TfGM’s announcement that Hough Lane will be blocked off for guided busway work for five months at least.

I sought assurances that residents will be safe during the works and their gas supplies will be unaffected.

Work on the new bus stop off Cooling Lane is set to continue until 10pm many evenings and weekends.

I garnered support for Tyldesley town centre proposals to be re-examined at a special scrutiny meeting of Wigan Council last year.

I challenged Wigan Council chiefs and so-called ‘experts’ over serious unresolved factors including safety, traffic and environment.

The experts stated there would be a ‘negligible impact on residents’ from the busway. Residents and visitors to Tyldesley have had enough of the works, as they stand.

Extra congestion, noise, lost business, dirty roads surrounding the sites and even some abusive workers are among the matters raised to me.

The work on Hough Lane is not just to replace a main gas pipe.

It is required as the main gas pipe is too close to the surface to cope with up to 16 buses per hour.

That is how many buses will cross over Hough Lane, adding to delays at the approach to Manchester Road and Sale Lane – not to mention similar delays at Astley Street, Well Street, Upton Lane and Sale Lane.

TfGM has confirmed to me that travelling under Hough Lane was ruled out for the special guided buses. Funnily, trains managed for 105 years before the line closed under the Beeching Axe.

You have to wonder who the guided bus scheme is really benefiting.

I expect more residents, businesses and visitors to be seriously put out by the busway works. I will continue to raise issues as they arise.

CLR PAUL VALENTINE
Tyldesley Ward