Failsworth West Labour Councillors Elaine Garry and Pete Davis were out on Propps Hall Drive last week sharing news that a traffic calming scheme was approaching the top of the priority list for investment by Oldham Council.

Earlier this year Pete, Elaine and former Failsworth West Councillor Sean Fielding had been involved in discussions about securing funding for traffic calming in the area following several road traffic accidents. After a mini-consultation resident feedback suggested that local people wanted some form of traffic calming but many were opposed to ‘speed humps’. In response engineers drew up plans to modify the road markings, insert traffic islands in the middle of the road and construct a new crossing near Propps Hall School. The idea being that more features will cause drivers to be more cautious and the islands will stop motorists crossing on to the wrong side of the road, as the most reckless drivers currently do.

Councillor Davis welcomed the scheme. He said, “I am delighted to be able to share news that engineers have come up with a scheme that takes note of resident opposition to speed humps and we’ve got it in to the Council’s Capital Programme. The investment cannot come soon enough for local people who have experienced some terrible accidents outside their homes.”

Councillor Elaine Garry added, “I am particularly pleased that a crossing outside Propps Hall School is included in the plans. Hundreds of children travel to and from Propps Hall and St. Mary’s schools on foot every day and this will make their journeys safer.”

The Council’s Capital Programme is a list of schemes that Oldham Council is proposing to invest money in to over the next few years. In addition to traffic calming schemes like this it includes road resurfacing and big ticket items such as the building of new schools and health centres.

The Councillors have pledged to keep residents updated when the date for the start of the works on Propps Hall is known.