They stood up to the council when they tried to block their streets... but is it really over?
15.04.2024 - 05:57
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
After months of heated debate and community tension, the planters installed as part of the low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) scheme in Withington have been removed.
The scheme, which the council said was intended to mitigate speeding and rat-running on Parsonage Road, sparked controversy among residents, with claims it instead displaced traffic onto other streets. But pro-walking and cycling groups welcomed the move, saying it made the area quieter.
The six-month trial, which began last August, saw nine junctions fitted with plant filters to restrict motor traffic movements in the Hartley estate. However, a list of grievances with the scheme's outcomes prompted council authorities to terminate it in March.
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Geraldine Mulholland, who lives on Arnfield Road and campaigned against the scheme, says the move has come as a 'victory' for residents.
“It means so much that the council has listened to the community's complaints and my hope is that going forward there won’t be similar mistakes again. This is a victory for community unity against the council,” she said.
Some of the complaints to the scheme included claims it caused blind spots around planters, main perimeter roads became stilted with congestion, increased emissions and response times for emergency services. It divided opinion, with a petition launched protesting their installation almost as soon as the scheme was completed.
Neighbour Ian Miller, 55, said: “A lot of the campaign is about safe cycling and safer walking but with the junctions becoming two right angle bends if you cycle through the planters your crossing live traffic on a blind bend