'Urgent update' call on Chorley Old Road junction scheme

The changes at the junctions of Chorley Old Road, Moorside Avenue and New Hall Lane were made in February 2023, with four sets of traffic lights to replace a zebra crossing.

Questions have been posed since then by the area’s representatives with Cllr Garry Veevers, of Smithills, having raised questions again at town hall this week.

He said: “We were originally promised a review of the scheme, I think in autumn last year, then again in December this has just dragged on and on and on.

“Call me cynical but the fact that TfGM (Transport for Greater Manchester) will be conducting the review themselves smacks of them in effect ‘marking their own homework.’”

Cars coming out of Moorside Avenue before turning on to Chorley Old Road (Image: Newsquest)

Since February 2023 when the new system was installed concerns have been raised about how confusion at the junction could lead to potential accidents.

In July of that year the majority of 90 respondents to a survey on the junction said that conditions on the road had worsened since before the scheme was introduced.

Cllr Veevers said that he and many of his colleagues felt that the 'scheme' had left the junction 'less safe'.

Near the junction of Moorside Avenue (Image: Newsquest)

In response council cabinet member for transport, housing and highways Cllr Hamid Khurram said that he was aware of the issues.

He said: “I can confirm that I am aware of the concerns of our residents and that I have asked officers to write to our colleagues at TfGM to ask for an urgent update to the monitoring and evaluation report that was promised.”

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Cllr Khurram said that he and his colleagues had received a response from TfGM saying that they were undertaking on street surveys as part of the Bee Network crossing scheme.

These surveys were intended to understand people’s views on crossings like these.

He said that TfGM hoped that they would be able to share their findings in due course.

Cllr Khurram passed on a message from TfGM thanking people in the area for their patience.