A Horwich Town councillor is concerned that the town’s significant parking issues could be compounded by potential parking charges at Rivington.
The bend on Green Lane is a popular parking spot for people heading up to Rivington on a weekend.
Although it is perfectly legal to park there, concerns have been raised by locals over traffic issues.
Cllr Steven Chadwick, who represents Lever Park ward on Horwich Town Council, said: “I have been approached by residents because of parking on a dangerous part of the Green Lane estate. People park there a lot on a weekend to walking in Rivington or when there’s an event up there.
“So, there’s a bit of a problem already.
“I appreciate that as long as you pay road tax and have an up-to-date MOT then of course you can park your car wherever you like but I think that the some of the parking on that bend is dangerous.”
Residents recently received notification from United Utilities of a consultation process that is underway around new plans for parking at the reservoir – with charges being considered.
Although any concrete plans are yet to be unveiled, Cllr Chadwick says that if charges were implemented it would likely cause more problems.
“If you go up there at the weekend, parking up there is horrendous,” he added. “My concern, and the council’s concern, is that any charges will force parking from Rivington into Lever Park and down into Horwich.
READ MORE: Horwich businesses want council help to increase footfall
“This could obviously benefit the town in some ways, with people visiting shops, but it will cause further issues with parking.
“We’re trying to solve a problem we have at the minute and prevent a bigger problem down the line.
“There’s nothing in place in case these things do happen. We need proper traffic management plan in place.”
Cllr Chadwick brought forward a motion to Horwich Town Council at a meeting last week in which he called for a holistic approach to the town’s multitude of parking issues. The problem at Green Lane though was his initial motivation to do so.
READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers asked to help find parking solution by Horwich Town Council
Horwich Town Council are writing to Bolton Council and other stakeholders in the hopes of tackling the numerous parking issues that the town is facing. These include parking on Bolton Wanderers’ matchdays and when events are on at the University of Bolton Stadium.
A United Utilities spokesperson said: “Since the outbreak of Covid and the various lockdowns, Rivington has seen a significant increase in the number of visitors to the site.
“At the beginning of the year we contracted a company to look at how we could manage parking, and this included a consultation with local residents on proposed changes.
“This has now taken place and we are in the process of reviewing their findings. Once a way forward has been decided, we will ensure we communicate with partners and local residents.”
If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at lewis.finney@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @lewisfinney18
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