Small business leaders in Greater Manchester have delivered a stinging attack over the A555 Manchester Airport Relief Road – calling into question those behind its design amid regular closures.
The road – opened in 2018 – is now notorious for flooding and remains shut today after heavy new year flooding.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has now written to two councils calling for urgent action, saying in the letter: “It’s hard not to feel that what’s become an annual occurrence here in Greater Manchester would be tolerated in the South East.”
FSB boss Robert Downes said: “Imagine that was Heathrow or Gatwick? It would have been put right years ago.” His letter has gone to Stockport Council and Cheshire East Council – urging town hall leaders to ‘act now’.
The closure of the A555, argues the federation, is now an ‘annual occurrence’ and is hitting businesses in the pocket and shaming the city region.
The route in south Manchester, between Hazel Grove and Manchester Airport, flooded again on New Year’s Eve, and remained closed today more than a week on. Cars were left stuck and abandoned there.
The FSB said each time the busy dual carriageway is closed, it triggers ‘widespread disruption in communities’ surrounding it.
The road remains closed
(Image: FSB)
Mr Downes, FSB Development Manager for Greater Manchester, said the road serves as a major feeder route to Manchester Airport, the wider motorway network in south Manchester including the M56, Manchester city centre via the A34, and on into south Cheshire in the other direction.
But he said the A555 has flooded ‘almost every year since it opened in 2018’.
Businesses, he added, complained of reduced footfall, issues with staff late for work and significant disruption to their wider operations every time it is closed.
Mr Downes said in the letter: “If this was a one-off occurrence the business community may well be more forgiving, but it’s not. It happens every year and it just can’t be allowed to go on unchecked or treated as an acceptable problem. This has become an annual occurrence during periods of heavy rainfall, and it’s simply unacceptable this newly built road, only completed in 2018, continues to be plagued by such a predictable problem in a city region famous for inclement weather.
“The repeated flooding of the A555 highlights serious design flaws and raises questions about the competency of those responsible for its design and final construction. It’s hard not to feel that what’s become an annual occurrence here in Greater Manchester would be tolerated in the South East.”
Cars caught in new year floods
(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Mr Downes said the A555 serves ‘vital regional and global gateway and key business hub’ Manchester Airport.
But he added: “Yet again and again it’s allowed to fall into an unusable state. Imagine that was Heathrow or Gatwick? It would have been put right years ago.
“This highlights a worrying way we maintain transport infrastructure here, but also the ‘lasses faire’ approach from local decision makers who don’t appear to appreciate how bad this looks outwardly and the genuine hardship it causes for communities affected.
“The people of Stockport, Cheshire, and Greater Manchester deserve better. We cannot continue to be treated as second-class citizens when it comes to transport infrastructure investment.
“Stockport Council and Cheshire East Council must act now. They must secure the necessary funding and expertise to fix the A555 once and for all. This situation cannot be allowed to continue year after year.”
The A555
(Image: Getty Images)
“This week, as we saw the final piece of the Bee Network jigsaw fall into place in Stockport, the A555’s extraordinary lack of resilience has been exposed once again.
“The impact of these closures extends beyond mere inconvenience. Local businesses suffer as potential customers are deterred by the traffic chaos. Moreover, the increased congestion leads to a decline in air quality as thousands of vehicles are forced onto alternative routes, through urban areas that now simply can’t cope with the demand when a key piece of the road network goes down.”
Councillor Laura Crane, vice chair of Cheshire East Council’s highways and transport committee, said: “We understand residents’ frustrations with the recent flooding on these roads. While we prioritise maintenance, extreme weather conditions can still cause such incidents, and many areas of the UK have been affected.
“This flooding has come at a time when drainage systems and our highways network are still recovering from the effects of both Storm Darragh in early December and two weeks prior to that, Storm Bert.
“We are aware of the problems with the roads mentioned but they are not straightforward to resolve. They require co-operation from river authorities, utility companies and neighbouring councils to improve the wider network of waterways and we will continue to work towards long term solutions.”
The Manchester Evening News has contacted Stockport Council for comment.