A senior councillor says he is prepared to 'knock on doors' in one of Trafford's 'overlooked areas' to garner feedback on controversial plans for the Carrington Relief Road. Council bosses have cited the road as a key component of its strategy for the last 10 years and see it as a major boost for people in Carrington and Partington.
But plans for the road have resulted in objections from local residents because is set to cut across Carrington Moss, home to endangered birds, mammals, amphibians and carbon-capturing peat bogs. Executive member for climate change and transport strategy Counm Aiden Williams told Trafford's scrutiny committee that although 10,000 letters had gone out to residents affected as part of the initial public consultation process, the response was 'poor'.
"They were sent to many people who will be impacted," he said. "There has been some learning for us as a local authority about how to go about consultation. I am more than happy to go door-to-door [if necessary]."
READ MORE: Council facing £12m funding shortfall for controversial Carrington relief road
Coun Geraldine Coggins said that there may be a feeling in the community that 'these things are a done deal'.
"If consultations are technical and dull, that could be the reason," she said. "I am sure there is more that can be done to make them a bit more readable and attractive."
Coun Williams responded: "Partington is a community that is at times overlooked so the onus is on us to remedy any mistrust issues." Delivering an update on the scheme, Adrian Fisher, director of growth and regulatory services, said a key benefit of the relief road scheme was part of a wider package of transport infrastructure and new developments in the Carrington/Partington area.
"They address a number of strategic needs in terms of transport and quality of life improvements for residents and unlocking significant employment opportunities," his report said. "A further object is to improve connectivity to the outlying district of Partington which suffers from suppression of economic activity due to poor public transport, road congestion on the A6144, and a lack of active travel infrastructure."
He said that a principal aim of the relief road was to take traffic away from the narrow A6144 Carrington Lane and Manchester Road. A planning application for the scheme is expected to be submitted in around May 2023, before which the council is required by law to undertake a formal public consultation.
Mr Fisher's report goes on: "This scheme is of regional significance and it is therefore important that the council ensures the community and stakeholders are as fully involved in the development of the scheme as possible."
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