News

Mancunian Way no longer closed this weekend as ‘annual maintenance’ is postponed

"It is sensible to reschedule our maintenance works to limit the impact on road users."

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 10th March 2022

Manchester City Council has confirmed that the Mancunian Way will no longer be closed for its “annual maintenance” this weekend.

It was revealed earlier this week that the major road in and out of the city centre would be fully closed in both directions so that maintenance works could be carried out this Saturday and Sunday – a weekend full of events scheduled to take place.

This weekend alone, Manchester United will face Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League clash at home at Old Trafford with a 5:30pm kick-off, boyband The Wanted will take to the stage at the AO Arena as part of their reunion tour, and the Manchester ‘Irish Parade’ will make its through Cheetham Hill to the city centre to mark St Patrick’s Day.

But now, the Council has announced that the road’s annual closure will be rescheduled to the weekend of Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 March, from 5am on Saturday morning through to 7pm on Sunday evening.

Read more: Mancunian Way is closed this weekend and motorists are urged to ‘plan ahead’

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The closure will allow essential work to take place to keep the bridge safe and will be in place from Chester Road roundabout through to Pin Mill Brow, the Council says.

A map showing the section of road due to be closed and the surrounding areas set to be affected / Credit: Google Maps (via TfGM)

The work will include safety inspections, road repairs, lighting inspections, street sweeping, drainage clearance, and general work to improve any defects, while the overall integrity of the structure will also be assessed.  

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TfGM has already set out a number of transport alternatives for those travelling in and out of the city centre on the scheduled maintenance weekend, but has now also revealed that signed diversions will be in place for the duration of the closure.

However, TfGM says it’s still important to “plan ahead” and familiarise yourself with the recommended diversion routes before travelling.

Explaining the reasoning behind the decision to postpone the scheduled maintenance to the following weekend, Cllr Tracey Rawlins – Manchester City Council’s executive member for environment – said: “Apologies if the change in dates to close the Mancunian Way for its annual maintenance weekend has impacted anyone’s weekend plans.”

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The Mancunian Way will now be closed on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 March / Credit: Pixabay

She continued: “Tens of thousands of cars use the bridge each day, so these works are vital to ensure the safety of the road – but we try to choose an appropriate weekend to undertake the maintenance work to limit congestion caused by the closure.

“The weekend coming was originally chosen as it presented the least amount of disruption on our roads, but it is right that we can be flexible to changing circumstances.

“Given the postponement of the Man City game against Brighton next weekend, it is sensible to reschedule our maintenance works to limit the impact on road users.”

You can find more information about the Mancunian Way closure next weekend here.

Featured Image – Peter McDermott (via Geograph)

News

Body found in search for missing Stockport postman Steven Caulfield

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A body has been found in the search for a 70-year-old former postman from Stockport who went missing a couple of months ago.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) issued a public appeal after to help find Steven Caulfield, who was last seen in the vicinity of the golf course next to Middlewood Way, in the Marple area of Stockport, at around 4pm Tuesday 1 October, after he failed to return home from a walk.

Steven was spotted on CCTV, with images being released to the public shortly after, but his whereabouts was still unknown.

Since Steven was reported missing, an extensive missing person investigation was launched by Stockport detectives, alongside a widespread search by specialist GMP officers, and a number of missing appeals were also published on social media and shared widely – not just in Greater Manchester, but all across the UK.

But sadly, at around 12pm yesterday (Wednesday 11 December 2024), a GMP officer has sadly located a body in a woodland area near to Middlewood Way in Stockport, and at this time, police believe this is likely to be the body of Steven Caulfield.

Steven’s next of kin have been made aware and are currently being supported by officers.

There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding Steven’s death, according to GMP.

Speaking on the discovery of the body, Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes, Stockport District Commander and GMP lead for Disaster Victim Identification, said: “Our deepest condolences remain with Steven’s family and friends, who have been devastated by this traumatic news, we have officers supporting them through this difficult time.

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“It has been a challenging couple of months since the missing report came to us in GMP and our Tactical Aid Unit, Specialist Search, Canine and Underwater Units were all utilised to search for Steven in challenging conditions and locations around the Middlewood Way.

“We hope today’s discovery provides some answers for Steven’s loved ones.”

Featured Image – GMP

News

Plans submitted for new £250 million mixed residential neighbourhood in Stockport

Danny Jones Danny Jones New Stockport 8 neighbourhood planning permission

Plans have officially been submitted for a brand-new £250 million neighbourhood in the heart of Stockport town centre.

The new mixed residential mini-village simply dubbed, ‘Stockport 8’, has been put forward by the local LLP of the same name, set up as part of a partnership between Stockport Council and ECF (English Cities Fund – itself a joint venture between Homes England, Legal & General, and Muse).

Set to cost a quarter of a million, the proposed neighbourhood is just the latest step of the ever-growing Stockport Mayor Development Corporation (MDC) masterplan, a wider £500m scheme to transform the specific Stockport Town Centre West area into the most sustainable, liveable town centre in the UK.

With a planning application now submitted, we’ve also been given another look at what the new Stockport neighbourhood would look like if green-lit.

when is Stockport 8 due to be finished?

We first heard reports of the new Stockport 8 neighbourhood back in January after CGIs of what the developers envisioned were shared with the public, alongside how it fit into the West blueprints.

The overall goal of the development is to create a high-quality, green neighbourhood featuring a mix of housing tenures to suit existing and new homeowners and tenants.

Aiming to build a grand total of 1,300 high-quality, energy-efficient homes all told as part of a whipping £1bn investment in Stockport town centre, there will also be room for businesses and community spaces on the ground floor level to knit into the existing centre and its community.

There’s also an insistence from those behind the project to create different atmospheres, creating new environments for people to meet, socialise, relax and enjoy, such as residential courtyards and green roofs, as well as the usual modern amenities re: parking, vehicle charging, bike storage etc.

All told, the council and their development partners – which include chief designers, shedkm, and landscape architects, Planit – are hoping to contribute nearly a third of the homes in Stockport MDC masterplan, which is hoping to surpass 4,000 homes over a total of 130 acres.

stockport 8 neighbourhood
stockport town centre masterplan

As well as helping contribute to the busy and vital road network that is continuing to be redeveloped, the goal is to create a safe and sustainable travel environment too, with a pedestrian-only street running through the centre of the scheme.

With one big road (Cook Street) running throughout the neighbourhood, the new builds will also look to knit into Stockport’s existing structure, celebrating the area’s rich heritage and character by even reintroducing historic street patterns and street names.

If you’re interested in the skyline-changing new project, you can find out more HERE.

Planning permission applications in Manchester can sometimes take upwards of 13 weeks due to the various individual stages and processes, so we’re still a while of way from knowing if/when Stockport 8 will begin work but with a summer 2027 completion date, it could be a huge moment for the town.

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Featured Images — Supplied

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