The usually busy thoroughfare was suddenly vehicle-free, and hoards of people flocked to enjoy this beautiful part of the Peak District without traffic.
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Then, on the 8 March, Derbyshire County Council changed tack and announced that Snake Pass would be closed to all users because of ‘concerns over safety’.
They said that barriers would be put in place and the road monitored 24/7.
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Despite the good intentions behind the decision, hundreds of people have reacted with fury, with a mass cycle along the road staged last weekend – and another planned this week.
Want to cycle Snake Pass without any traffic?
Come along this Saturday, 2pm, Glossop, Norfolk Square.
He said: “It was great, it was a really good day – the sun was out, there were kids and families. It was amazing.
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“I met someone who lived in Glossop for seven years and he’d never been up there on his bike, so it was just a great experience for people to enjoy the countryside and the great outdoors.
“It’s a hotspot for people to come in their fast cars and motorbikes and it can be quite dangerous with people speeding and showing off.”
Cyclists have been loving the deserted Snake Pass. Credit: Unsplash
He also said that it was ‘silly’ to close the entire road when a relatively small section is affected by the landslip.
Political consultant Brian Coleman argued the case for the council, saying: “It is dangerous. The road has been closed because of landslips. Sadly the health and safety rules are there for a reason.
“We’re not talking about the odd cyclist here, we’re talking about organised gangs of hundreds of cyclists.
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“It is the A57. It is a main road. It’s not a little back water road or a little suburban cul-de-sac, it is the A57.”
I cycled from Ladybower up the Snake Pass on Sunday. Only a handful of residents and farmers drove past me and felt totally safe! When the road opens back up I’d have no interest in riding it again in traffic and will be back on the trails with my mountain bike! pic.twitter.com/TeJasKixY7
Over on Twitter, one cyclist said: “I cycled from Ladybower up the Snake Pass on Sunday. Only a handful of residents and farmers drove past me and felt totally safe!
“When the road opens back up I’d have no interest in riding it again in traffic and will be back on the trails with my mountain bike!”
Someone else commented: “This is really disappointing to hear. There was a festival atmosphere there last weekend, with families and kids as well as lots of cyclists. Why spoil the fun? It’s a rare opportunity for people to enjoy the road when cars can’t.”
Featured image: Unsplash
News
Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre
Daisy Jackson
Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.
Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.
A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.
Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.
It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.
Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
Daisy Jackson -
18th March 2022 
