Hollingworth Bypass

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Look who's looking...
2007-10-22 23:10:00
Good old Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft clearly like to keep an eye on what's being said about them (click on image for full details).

Road Closure
2007-10-16 23:10:00
Reason to celebrate? Well, not in this case, no. Yesterday saw the culmination of a case brought by the Ramblers Association against BMW and Oxfordshire County Council to prevent the closure of a bridleway. The 2,000 year old path (an old Roman Road ) lies in the way of land BMW want to 'develop' (it's that word again).You can guess the rest. BMW won. After all, nothing stands in the way of the car industry, at least as far as the legal system is concerned. BMW's defence was that the 400 people who used the path daily were mainly people who worked at the plant itself. I suppose in future, they'll all have to drive to work.(Urban Guerrilla Notice: the BMW was the Red Army Faction's getaway car of choice - not because the RAF were flash gits, but because they used to be easy to hot wire. No doubt they'd have a rather more no-nonsense solution to this matter)
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Blog action day
2007-10-16 20:49:00
...was yesterday. And we missed it. Oh well.But over on his blog, sharp-as-a-knife Gamesley Councillor Anthony McKeown reminded us what it's all about:across the world bloggers are uniting to highlight environmental issues, and hopefully as the organisers say get the world talking towards a better futureAnd without a hint of irony (or punctuation if the above is anything to go by), Anthony urges us to join the Friends of the Earth's campaign "The Big Ask":The way the campaign works is by asking you to contact your MP to make sure the Government does the right thingSo it's curtains for humanity then! (And we thought that FoE were only mooting what to do after being courted by Rupert Murdoch. Perhaps they've already made their mind up...)Getting back to 'blogging about environmental issues', you may remember that Anthony only allows you to comment on his blog if you leave a name (rather than an obviously false name or 'anonymous' - me? I'm Mr Lewin's little boy!). And he's ...
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Meet the new Boss? ...same as the old boss
2007-10-05 21:57:00
With all this talk of elections, we thought we'd muse for a minute on that bloke Dave Cameron's speech the other day (let's not forget these are the new Green Tories, and good old Dave has got a wind turbine on his roof - as did one local pipsqueak/councillor at one time). Take this sample...So, his mother dealt with "the likes of Swampy" did she? It's easy to mock people who are (seemingly) not as strong, but it's also better to choose those who were the least effective - Direct Action stopped the Tories road building programme dead in it's tracks in the 1990s, and it will do the same with Labour's - or even the Tories if they have their jackboot on our necks again in a few weeks time. We too "fight for what we believe in and the changes we want to make" despite "the likes of you". Bring it on Dave...And as an antidote to all that guff, here's a rejoinder to this Toff's mocking tones from good old Dan Hooper himself...
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Spot the fake...
2007-10-01 19:57:00
After noticing that a weblog has popped up documenting James Purnell's fake photo album, here's a little gallery of clearly fake photos that can be added:Purnell lurking around the rear entrance to the Stalybridge Civic Hall......lurking around the front.......and joined by a few friends.All of these people - James Purnell MP, Cllr Roy Oldham, Mike Flynn, Tom Levitt MP, Cllr Sean Parker-Perry & Cllr Jonathan Reynolds - have not and will not be appearing at the Public Inquiry (held at the Civic Hall) to defend their cause, the Longdendale Bypass...What a bunch of fakes
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'Fake Purnell' on the loose in Tameside
2007-09-28 18:38:00
The media are all over the Stalybridge & Hyde MP James Purnell. It seems that the MP has been 'photoshopped' into a photo-opportunity at Tameside Hospital for this week's press that he didn't actually attend (dutifully carried by the Glossop Chronicle/Tameside Reporter).And as we've been noting over the past few months, Purnell's staff love to mess with the internet. We chronicled how a member of Purnell's staff, Longdendale Councillor Sean Parker-Perry, had been behind the now dormant 'roadmunkey' weblog and was extremely active in altering wikipedia articles about his boss, as well as other articles like the Longdendale Bypass (some bright spark has begun to chronicle these edits here).We wonder has this will all turn out for Purnell and his minions? We'll add more when time allows...**10.30 p.m. update - the story's set to run, with Purnell employing the 'broken record' approach with Gordon Burns on tonight's North West Tonight (video below) - very reminiscent o...
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Cutting off your nose to spite your face
2007-09-25 21:20:00
A new report released yesterday revealed that 71% of workers in the UK travel by car. What's more, the report's authors urged both the government & employers to encourage people to use their cars less.The report was compiled using data from DEFRA and the DfT and revealed that 1 in 10 workers spend more than 2 hours in their cars to travel an average commute of 8.7 miles (that's a speed of less than 5 miles per hour - it's almost quicker to walk).What's more, the North West of England was found to be the most hazardous region to travel in terms of collision rates, travel times and levels of CO2.The report's authors? Those well known tree-huggers the RAC.It comes to something when an organisation that exists to capitalise from the motor industry (and not 'motorists' who are fictional constituency) is calling for alternatives.Yesterday's North West Tonight devoted a fair slice of their programme to this report, and contrasted it with the daily experience of rail commuters ...
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Pull the other one...
2007-09-24 21:08:00
It won't have escaped anyone's notice, but last week the Public Inquiry was adjourned unexpectedly for the second time. The Inquiry will briefly reconvene on November 6th, giving the Highways Agency time to re-work some of their evidence, and then again on December 18th to deal with the rest of it. The O bjectors will now have to wait until 2008 to present their evidence again.At this stage, it would seem to naive to believe anything other than that this is a tactical charade by the Highways Agency. By the time their case is over, they will have had nearly 2 years to formulate their case to bring before the public - so one questions if that is really the problem. Unlike the State, the Objectors do not have bottomless pockets to fund their part in this charade, and individual objectors can get fed up with the constant delays. The Highways Agency want to turn everyone off with their slow, grinding misery of an approach.And, of course, the Inspector lets them carry on with it. At th...
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Glossop Critical Mass - on video
2007-09-23 00:09:00
As promised, video-pixies have finished their work on the video of the first Glossop Critic al Mass , and the world premiere is here!One thing to note - this week's Glossop Chronicle has tried to play down the Critical Mass by saying there were 'less than a dozen' present. Not so, there were 14 taking part (including one very small non-cycling passenger) which is in our opinion is a pretty damn good start, garnering a lot of attention. We're sure there will be far more next time.
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Critical Mass - success!
2007-09-18 20:13:00
Last Friday saw a dozen people attend for the inaugural Glossop Critic al Mass . Glossop had seen nothing like it - all kinds of cyclists, including a mobile sound system, with people coming from as far afield as Manchester and Trafford (cycling all the way to Glossop and back from it!) to attend. Plus some friends from Glossop Kinder Velo.We certainly attracted a lot of attention - along with a van load of police and a motorcycle policeman. We're clearly doing something right.And the press attention has followed in its wake - today's Manchester Evening News gave away a half page article and photo, along with a page on their website. The latter is attracting a fair amount of debate (with predictable comments from petrolheads), so please feel free to join in.The organisers, Road Alert Glossop, are keen to repeat the event in the not too distant future, although next month's clock changes mean Friday evenings will be out until 2008.We are told that video-pixies were present to film ...
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Critical Mass - Glossop to Swallows Wood: this Friday 14th September
2007-09-12 20:53:00
A reminder that this Friday , 14th September sees the inaugural Critical Mass for the area, organised by fellow campaigners Road Alert Glossop .The Critical Mass has already received local press coverage, and the group have a thriving myspace page which is attracting a lot of support. Here's their press release:We're staging a Critical Mass bike ride on 14th September 2007, to celebrate Car Free Day and to demonstrate that bikes and people should be catered for on our roads, not just cars and traffic.We'll be setting off from Glossop train station at 5.30 pm and will be riding out to Swallow 's Wood near Tintwistle where we'll stop at a local pub. The wood is threatened by a new bypass they are planning to build between Mottram and Tintwistle.The route is fairly flat and about 4 miles in total. It's suitable for riders of all types. Please bring a bike and wear high vis clothing.Our aim is not to stop traffic but to make the presence of bikes on the roads more visible so please ...

9/11 - for the Highways Agency & TMBC - exclusive
2007-09-11 17:03:00
You can read it here before you'll read it anywhere else, but today brings news that the Highway s Agency have chosen today (of all days) to announce at the Public Inquiry that they had done their sums seriously wrong. Again.Stephen Greenhalgh, the leader of the Highways Agency team, took his place to explain how their figures regarding traffic were incorrect, and that this meant that a whole slew of their other evidence would have to be reviewed alongside this, as well as Tameside's for the Spur. His words:"I consider it to be a fundamental issue"And so do we. It's clear that they've been rumbled (they admitted that the evidence of an objector had made them think again) - their 'back of fag packet' sums are a sure sign that they want this road and to hell with the science, ecology, pollution, the whole lot: "just do anything to get this road through". There's little doubt that's been said by someone, somewhere.The Inquiry has now been adjourned to next Wednesday 19th Septemb...
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Traffic congestion: Tameside leads the way (& wants yet more)
2007-09-10 21:20:00
A delicious irony appeared in national and regional press today. The Campaign for Better Transport (aka Transport 2000 - yes, they realised the millennium was 7 years ago) issued a press release about their research into government stats which illustrate some shocking facts about the ever-ongoing growth of congestion and car culture.The government predicts that traffic will increase by 30% over the next 20 years, with 5.7 million extra vehicles being on the road by 2031. Is it any wonder then that Labour has done an abrupt volte-face since 1997 and is spawning a massive road-building programme?And it seems that Greater Manchester is the worst area with - wait for it - Tameside showing the fastest growth over the past 10 years (38.6%). So what's Roy Oldham, got to say about it?:"We have great amounts of cross-Pennine traffic as well as people making their way to the Peak District.Over the past decade, thousands of people have bought homes in Derbyshire and the only way for them to g...
More About: Traffic , Leads , Congestion , Lead

Look who came to dinner!
2007-09-04 22:43:00
There are times when you know you're obviously having an effect due to the type of visitors you're getting.And yesterday, we had a visit from one of the biggest villains in terms of roadbuilding - Balfour Beatty. To make it even sweeter, they weren't just browsing - they were looking for us (via Google). Our reputation is clearly spreading far and wide...
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Do as I say, & not as I do...
2007-09-03 21:05:00
Everyone in Tameside - and beyond - has reason to be disappointed with this Public Inquiry . Why?Well, it seems that the biggest local advocates for this bypass - that is Roy Oldham and his brother-in-law Mike Flynn, Chairman of the Longdendale Siege Committee - will not be appearing to give evidence in support of it. This is clear because phase 2 of the PI is about to start, and the case for the Promoters and Supporters is over.So when they mewl and puke in the press, as did Flynn in last week's Glossop Chronicle, about the weakness of Objector's evidence and the strength of theirs, it is all crap. Because if they are so sure of their case, why are they not prepared to go on public record to defend it?What have they go to hide? Why are they so afraid?After all, wasn't this their golden opportunity, their moment? Let's face it, they're both getting on in years - especially Oldham - & there won't be another opportunity. And for those who think this bypass is a good idea, it woul...

Roy Oldham's biggest fan: Terry Duckworth
2007-08-30 00:09:00
Avid readers of the Glossop Chronicle (yes, there are a few) will have noticed a couple of articles recently that have been incongruent (to say the least) with the current level of outrage at the arrogance of the leader of TMBC, Roy Oldham .It was this publication that had the first report about the Mottram plaque (featuring Roy's house) , a far from critical effort, published before the furore that started on this blog and was picked up by everyone else.As if to counter that, and unlike their counterpart the Advertiser, the Chronicle decided not to publish any dissent about the plaque and later on, published an article from Oldham's perspective about the 'fuss'.The journalist who penned the story was one Nigel Pivaro. Recognise the name? Yes, it's the actor who formerly played the petty crook Terry Duckworth in Coronation Street. Who better then to interview Roy Oldham (far from, ahem, petty in any respect)?A simple google of his name reveals that Pivaro would appear to like g...
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Climate Camp - report
2007-08-29 22:09:00
Representatives from our campaign attended the Camp for Climate Action two weeks ago after accepting an invitation from the organisers to facilitate a workshop on 'Roads and Climate Change'.We delivered the workshop alongside fellow campaigners from the 'No Widening M1' campaign to an enthusiastic audience who included members of other campaigns such as Protect our Woodlands (Save Titnore Woods). We talked about our respective campaigns, as well as the history of road construction in the UK, what and whose purposes it serves and discussed methods we can use to fight road expansion in future.Contrary to the portrayal in the mainstream media, the Camp was a hugely positive place with a vibrant atmosphere, making huge efforts to be environmentally sustainable. The reaction of the government, police and corporations like BAA to this event tells us we are doing something right - that the future does not mean 'business as usual' because 'business as usual' is a threat to our conti...
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Parking domain
2007-08-24 00:30:00
Following on from the last post, inside the Highways Agency booklet, there are contact details provided for comments about the scheme on page 2 - the Highways Agency seem to have based themselves at the Civic Hall.But what is most intriguing is the email domain of the provided contact person susan.yates@a57mottram.co.uk. Enter that domain into Nominet's 'whois' service, and you get this:Domain name: a57mottram.co.uk Registrant: Carillion Plc Registrant type: Unknown Registrant's address: 24 Birch Street Wolverhampton WV1 4HY GB Registrar: NetNames Limited [Tag = NETNAMES] URL: http://www.netnames.co.uk Relevant dates: Registered on: 23-May-2007 Renewal date: 23-May-2009Yes, Carillion, the main contractor for the bypass. Seemingly joined at the hip with the Highways Agency. And notice when it was registered. Before the PI even started.But what's the idea behind the domain a57mottram.co.uk? Are Carillion cybersquatting, banking on the ...
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Greenwash
2007-08-23 20:51:00
The Highways Agency's latest publication about the bypass is interesting for a number of reasons.Several people have proposed alternative road schemes for the bypass, and these have been collected in a booklet which is available as a PDF from the Public Inquiry website.They range from the interesting and worthy of attention (alternative 1, page 4), to the frankly bonkers (920m tunnel under a hillside! - alternative 2, page 6), to the comparable with or worse than the existing scheme (alternative 4, page 10).The most interesting aims to circumvent congestion by banning HGVs and creating a 'gyratory flow' system - stopping up some local roads, constructing very little new roadspace and removing traffic lights which create delays.But the HA is keen to point out next to each one that they do not support each proposal. No matter, it's cost them time & money, and the 1990s remind us that a plethora of such tactics kill road schemes.And there's also some psychology at work here. The f...
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Why Swallow's Wood is so important
2007-08-19 22:32:00
The nature walk organised by Save Swallow 's Wood took place today on a day of changeable weather. 12 people attended, and the weather was clement enough to hold the picnic afterwards.The group split into 2, one group led by local expert Pat Ellison, the other by ecologist Phil Martin. We filmed the highlights of Phil's tour of the Nature Reserve & wood, and plan to edit them into a series of short videos for upload to our channel on YouTube.In this first video, Phil explains why Swallow's Wood is so important and must be protected from the bypass that threatens it.
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Climate Camp 2007
2007-08-16 00:21:00
The news has been full of the protest camp at this year's Camp for Climate Action. We wholeheartedly support the camp, and believe it is an increasingly important forum for debate and action to highlight the threat posed by climate change.For those who want to learn more, the Climate Camp homepage is the best place to start. Indymedia also have a page with links to multimedia about the camp and events from a underground & independent viewpoint.A page of YouTube videos - from activists and mainstream media reports - is featured here.The Guardian's live newsblog for day one of the camp is here, and their Environment page live blog for Tuesday is here.Watch this space for more info later in the week...

'Motorway by Stealth'
2007-08-09 21:57:00
A blast from the past - the above cartoon and the following article were from the magazine of the Ramblers Association ('Rucksack') published in Autumn 1974. It's as prescient now as it was at the time.An unusual amount of attention has focussed upon the inquiry into the Denton bypass, a 1 1/2 mile stretch of motorway near Manchester, designed - so the DOE says - to relieve traffic congestion in Denton itself. The reason for this attention is that it is widely feared that this is the first part of the feared Manchester-Sheffield motorway, which would tear through the heart of the public access land in the Peak District National Park. As we have seen in the case of the M16 across Epping Forest, the DOE has adopted the familiar old trick of publishing its plans for the whole motorway in short stretches and of securing authority for the least contentious section first of all. This strengthens their hand at the inquiry into the most contentious stretch. However, this time the object...
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Swallow's Wood Nature Walk & Picnic
2007-08-09 21:42:00
Save Swallow s Wood have organised a Natur e Walk and Picnic for Sunday 19th August. Everyone is free to attend either or both events. Details are as follows:Nature Walk: starts at 11.00 a.m. Led by a local expert and an ecologist who will be on hand to tell you everything you might want to know about the plants and wildlife. The walk will be shown the specific areas in and around the nature reserve that would be affected by the bypass proposals, should they go ahead. Meeting point: at the public footpath sign (just after the entrance to Arnfield Reservoir) Crossgate Lane, Tintwistle.Picnic: starts at 1.00 p.m. Meeting point: at the entrance to the Swallow's Wood nature reserve, which is along the path from Crossgate Lane. Turn left and follow the public footpath off Crossgate Lane. Go through the kissing gate (kissing optional!), then turn left (through the gate) to Arnfield reservoir. The path bears right then left (keeping the stream on your right). Follow this all the way round u...

Darth Butler
2007-08-08 00:30:00
Day 6 of the Public Inquiry, and Darth Vader is in our midst. Yes, it's Brian Butler of the Longdendale Siege Committee.But hang on, this is the Vice-Chairman appearing - why has the Chairman - Mike Flynn - come over all shy? Anything to do with the fact that Roy Oldham is part of his family? Or perhaps that in the 1970s, he was against a bypass (when the proposed route went through his backyard - such a NIMBY!)? We may never know, because it seems he doesn't want to answer awkward questions...Anyway, Brian was there, and he and John Watson traded pleasantries, mainly about the size of Brian's petition. Now we've heard a lot about this petition, but our spies tell us that John Watson needs to pay a bit more attention to it: on the day, Butler trumpeted that it had 9,000 signatures. Which is interesting, because if this is the same petition that Purnell, Levitt and Co were flogging it in Downing Street back in 2003, it had 8,500 signatures. And further back in time, 6,900. Now yo...

Differences of (medical) opinion
2007-08-04 20:07:00
There are 2 interesting documents to compare at the Public Inquiry website, as is usual, one in opposition, and one in support of the bypass.Firstly, the objection supplied by the Directors of Public Health of Greater Manchester. This is a lengthy, comprehensive and damning critique of the lack of consideration given to the effects on human health of this road scheme. They also supply a fantastic quote (para 13):"It follows that once a road has become part of a saturated road system attempting to solve traffic problems with road construction is as sensible as trying to dig a hole in the surface of a lake"And then you have a letter supporting the bypass from a local GP surgery, the Smithy Surgery in Hollingworth. This is the best they can offer (emphasis added):"We are a GP Surgery at the intersection of the A628 and the road that goes to Glossop. We have many patients within the Longdendale valley and are fully aware of the present high pollution levels and emissions caused by the ...
More About: Medical , Opinion , Differences , Difference

Bypass - or bypass? That is the question...
2007-07-31 22:42:00
The Real Bypass: the only bypass that we, the flooded, thirsty, hungry, tired and dejected need is a heart-bypass operation. At least that is the only type of bypass this government should be considering funding. I have seen my sweet little Brother's adopted town. namely Tenbury Wells totally wrecked: smashed cottages, broken hearts, and tears. No, not the rivers of blood we were emphatically told would be flowing by the early dawn of the 21st century. Rivers of sewage, pieces of peoples lives washed away, misery, and fear etched into the faces of people whose tales tell of their dreams and aspirations being washed away in a torrent - not of class or racial hatred, but in a swirling, snarling monster that was once the River Teme. Was this the same gentle meandering river I stood watching my young son shouting excitedly "I've caught one, I've caught one!"? What is the point of my inane ramblings? Well, it's really quite simple. Whilst I hot-footed to and fro, up and down the A49...
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Who'd offer odds on this?
2007-07-30 21:27:00
One of those ultra-rare events occurred last week. A Public Inquiry recommended that the massive Thames Gateway Bridge road scheme through London should not go ahead.Transport for London had clearly been very cocksure about the result, as we had reported back in May, because they had already started putting tenders out shortly after the PI had wound up. But the Inspector has now come back and given them a surprise by agreeing with objectors, and also pointing out that the increases in C02 emissions the scheme would entail were contrary to government policy.What' s more interesting for us is that the Assistant Inspector was our very own John Watson .But before anyone breaks out the champagne, the government have ignored the Inspector's decision, and ordered a new Inquiry. Unlike the Inspector's decision, this is entirely predictable.This 'rebellion' on behalf of the Inspector could be the establishment's response to the government's Planning White Paper, which seeks to remove ...
More About: Odds , Offer

Location, location, location
2007-07-30 19:33:00
Over the past few days, we've heard a lot from a local politician about how his long record of living in the area justifies his recording in posterity upon a plaque. Roy Oldham constantly refers to his (undeniable) roots in Mottram and Longdendale, how his continued re-election gives him a mandate, and how his longstanding association with the area allows him to decide what is best for it.You'd expect someone who identified that strongly with the place to also invest in bricks and mortar in the place too. But if you do a bit of digging, it's not entirely clear that's the case.Private ownership of housing is public knowledge via HM Land Registry. As you might expect, there's a website which you can search for this information, and if you enter details of Roy Oldham's (now very public) address into it, this is what you get.So why is 'no information available'? Is it because he is a Councillor? No, it can't be that because info is available for the other 2 Longdendale Councill...
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What's good for the Goose is good for the Gander...
2007-07-28 21:27:00
It would be disingenuous of me to suggest that all anti-road campaigners are for the congestion charge (despite the fact that scumsuckers like Jeremy Clarkson are it's noisiest opponents). In the realm of the bourgeoisie, much of what is posited as 'green' politics has little to do with social justice and everything to do with enhancing inequality. After all, in a possible (& likely) future world where people are charged a levy for activities that contribute to climate change, the rich will carry on as normal, while the poor will be a lot poorer. A much wider appraisal of the way that our economic and social system is snuffing us out as a species, and how that is what needs to be changed, seems a long way off.And as if to confirm that, one only has to look at the behaviour of Greater Manchester's council leaders for yesterday's Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) meeting to vote on Congestion Charging. 8 out of 10 leaders arrived by car to the meeting, includin...
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This story's got legs...
2007-07-28 21:09:00
Two more newspapers to add to the roster on the Oldham plaque story - yesterday's Manchester Evening News (one and the same as Channel M & the Advertiser) and today's Daily Mirror.
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