On an unseasonally mild autumn afternoon, it is easy to appreciate the charm of Ramsbottom town centre. Walking past the East Lancashire Railway station and strolling up Bridge Street, you are greeted with many independent shops, an array of cafés, restaurants and bars and several traditional pubs. But people have been left unimpressed by proposals that could completely transform the roads in the town.
Plans from the council have emerged this week for a new one-way road system and 20mph speed limit to be introduced, alongside widened footpaths and new road crossings around the town centre. The council says the new proposals would "enable traffic to flow more smoothly and safely around the town centre and to make streets and crossings better and safer for walking, wheeling and cycling". Although exact details of the proposed "one-way system" and other measures have yet to be released by Bury Council, it’s fair to say that business owners and shoppers have already formed early opinions.
Stephen and Louise Coombes run Traditional Sweets and Gifts of Ramsbottom on Bridge Street. Stephen said: “We’ve heard of the plans and to be honest it’s hard to think how a one way system will make things better and it could very well lead to chaos and mean traffic backing up on other roads. "It’s not ideal but a lot of HGVs need access to the town centre.
“From what I hear it could be one way going up Bridge Street from the railway station up to Bolton Street and then one way com.