Manchester Councillors are trying to figure out how to handle the disruptive side-effects of ongoing construction work in Manchester City Centre.
With over 60 major developments currently processing, city centre roads are set to close for years on end, with councillors seeking advice as to whether developers can be forced to re-open streets that have been indefinitely stopped up.
The problem lies in the fact that after paying a one-off £4,000 sum, there is “no restriction” on how long developers can keep roads shut, according to Miles Platting and Newton Heath Councillor John Flanagan.
The topic was discussed at a public neighbourhoods committee meeting, where attendees made it clear that they remained frustrated by the role of developers in creating a gridlock in the city centre.
Deansgate Councillor William Jeavons is fighting to restrict the gridlock, saying that the prolonged inconvenience caused by the property firms is “disingenuous to the people that live in this city.”
With a further 68 developments just around the corner, Councillor Jeavons is concerned about the impact that not only Deansgate, but the whole of Manchester, will feel in the coming months.
Although it is evident that the issue is being addressed, there is still “room for improvement” in the eyes of Director of Highways Steve Robinson.
This suggests that the problem of gridlocked traffic and shut-off roads, such as Liverpool Road and Quay Street, will not disappear in the forthcoming future.
City Centre residents and students alike will have to bear the brunt of stop-and-start buses, constant construction noise, and unfinished eye-sores, for the imminent future at least.
