Ms Manuelle Salathe

Highways Agency

Major Projects

City Tower

Room 710

Piccadilly Plaza

Manchester   M1 4BE

Dear Ms Salathe,

Re: Widening of the M60 motorway between junctions 12 and 15

I wish to register my opposition to the proposed work on the M60 motorway for the following reasons:

It was clear from the well-attended presentation on 7th April that this is the first stage of a much larger project and will in due course lead to bridge-widening and other major alterations. It appears that the plan is to undertake the work in stages, which may cause members of the public to feel that each phase is a modest alteration they need not be too concerned about. However, the full scope of the works is potentially vast, with far-reaching implications for everyone in the area.

For example, motorway infrastructure such as lighting columns and signage gantries will need to be moved, causing a great deal of disruption during the works which will have an impact on surrounding roads and local traffic.

The short distance between junctions 13 and 12 is already an accident black spot because of “weaving” traffic - this proposal does not address that problem.

Air quality in Worsley is already worse than in any other part of North West England and this proposal will only contribute to increasing levels of pollution.

Noise and pollution will be considerably increased and their effects imposed on many residents.

The effects of noise and pollutants is deleterious to the health of the whole community, with children growing up and attending schools near the motorway corridor being even more vulnerable than adults.

The fence to control noise and pollution effects on adjacent properties, which has just been erected at public expense, will have to be removed during the work and it may not be possible to effectively re-instate it.

Supporting structures to carry the extra lane will mean removal of trees which provide not only a visual barrier but are valuable in absorbing both noise and pollution.

The barrier needed to safeguard vehicles on the extra lane will mean that there will be severe light reduction in many homes, some of which have living rooms facing the motorway.

Where retaining retaining walls are needed, it is likely that they will reduce the amenity of properties in those areas and have severe financial implications for homeowners during a severe recession.

There will be even more potential for serious injuries to people and damage to property if an accident causes vehicles or their loads to leave the road.

The motorway already runs through an area of considerable heritage and amenity value, having cut a swathe through Worsley and Wardley woodlands and affected historic Worsley village, one of the most important birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution. Further destruction sits uncomfortably with Government’s desire to reinforce its green credentials.

Several Conservation Areas have been designated close to the motorway and it is important that these are not further compromised by motorway expansion.

Finally, there are proposals, as yet without planning permission, to build several large projects in the area – a racecourse, a container port and a major sports stadium with shopping facilities. But it seems they can not be considered by The Highways Agency at present since planning consent has not been granted. Each of these developments would bring increased volumes of traffic at all times to a road system which is already at saturation point. This current phase will not provide the answer even to current problems (since it is widely accepted that all motorway expansions are soon choked by local traffic), but may surreptitiously be preparing the ground for those projects since road transport links will be a critical aspect of each scheme.

We need a full, objective assessment of all these concerns and possible future developments setting out for public consultation before residents are asked to accept the phase currently proposed.

A piecemeal approach is not the way to proceed.

Yours sincerely,