Manchester has been doing some serious expanding in the past decade, with the city establishing itself as one of the UK’s most popular spots for young professionals and families. A recent report even reckoned that Mannie will stay ahead of the rest of the country in terms of economic growth until at least 2027.
All of those extra people flocking to the city and its surrounding areas naturally means more demand for transport and ways to get into the centre. To solve such transport woes, campaigners have been pushing to extend the city’s Metrolink out to Rossendale to the north of the city in Lancashire.
Don’t get too excited, as there’s no formal plans at the moment. Currently, there’s a bit of drama between rival local councils on how best to serve the people of the area, with some advocating for bus routes instead of a Metrolink extension.
Jake Berry, MP for Rossendale, has been at the forefront of the campaign for the town to be added to the tram lines. He explained: ‘The challenge is Bury Council and Greater Manchester need to support it.
‘The majority of track passes through other boroughs. We need to continue lobbying the network and speaking to other boroughs and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who has access to considerable cash. It’s not a lack of funding that prevents it. It’s more a lack of a local coalition to support it.’
It seems that the polarisation of politics is affecting even the most menial of decisions. Rossendale is not the only village that wants better links into Manchester, with places like Stockport and Bolton also applying to be added to the tram network. Mayor Andy Burnham has said he expects the council to reach decisions on whose transport wishes are to be fulfilled this summer.
Hopefully an agreement will be made soon, and the local councils can stop arguing about what’s best for long enough for their constituents to actually receive something vaguely helpful. Our thoughts are with you, Greater Mancunians and Lancastrians. Stay strong.
Time Out and Manchester
We love Manchester. Who wouldn’t? With some of the country’s best bars, restaurants, and nightlife, it’s popular for a reason. We keep up to date with what’s going on in the bee city, such as the fact that, unfortunately, Mancunians were recently named the rudest people in Britain. On top of that, we’ve reported on how this Manchester train station is due an upgrade, and how the city’s Gay Village is getting revamped soon.
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