Whatever our view of the by-pass (ie either for or against it) there are a number of points we can make, which we might all agree on! These are worth bearing in mind in your response to the consultation.

1. The modeling the Highways England (HE) are using for traffic flow needs to be realistic. The by-pass will attract more traffic (you only need to see the M62 to see that!) so what we all don't want is for the traffic jam to simply move from Hyde Road to Roe Cross. They are banking on the junction down at the Gun Inn to become flowing rather than stationary traffic, but if they get this wrong, it will just be like the roundabout at  Denton -at the west end of the M67. And that's a big, 3 lane roundabout there! Therefore the traffic model needs to have the right inputs – it's not enough for HE to merely claim it "robust."

2. Subsidence is a major problem in the area, but particularly further up the Longdendale Valley. Much of the geology is sandstone on gritstone, which is liable to be unstable when flooding. If not constructed well, we will have another "Deep Cutting" – and we know what misery our local Deep Cutting has been with repairs there recently causing traffic delays.

3. Hollingworth is getting a poor deal here – it's not helped at all! There is lobbying to get the Hollingworth part added simultaneously, not sequentially, but at the moment this is not planned for the next phase of the by-pass.

It's important that we respond to this consultation because from the feedback we give them they will decide which of the 2 routes they will finally select. There will be further consultaions, but the plans are now moving forward –  they have the money.

Link to Highways England and online consultation here

Respond by 10th April 2017