Graham, Tom and Ian

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Amazon depot: great news for jobs but we need to sort the traffic

by Lib Dem team on 3 December, 2015

The media is reporting that Amazon plans to build a huge depot at Airport City, south of Wythenshawe.

That’s great news for jobs, as its forecast to employ between 1,000 and 1,500 people and we welcome it.

The Lib Dems have been arguing for some time that building at Airport City without improving the transport infrastructure will lead to gridlock. There just isn’t enough roadspace to get everyone to and from those new jobs. We believe an orbital tram/train, going through Stockport and with stops in Cheadle and Gatley to take people to the airport, is an important part of the solution.

Today’s announcement is fantastic news for jobs and economic growth – now the hard work of building the infrastructure to support it, and all the other businesses coming to Airport City, has to really begin.

   8 Comments

8 Responses

  1. bruce says:

    There is also a new superstore Next opening next year close to Tesco and Marks and Spencer

    More traffic.

  2. Arthur Lampkin says:

    Yes I brought this subject up on Gatley Facebook page days ago when it was announced. This must have gone though planning so why is the subject of fit for purpose road links only just being thought about as it was the first thing I thought about when I heard the news. Does the planning department not take these type of things in allowing it to go ahead or is it just about getting money from these big businesses and blow what it means to already grid locked villages in this area.

  3. Jb says:

    Forget tram/train – its too big and costly a project to construct in the foreseeable future. Far more practicable is to re-instate the railway stops at Cheadle, Gatley/Northenden and a new one at Southmoor Rd to provide an interchange with the Metrolink direct line to the airport when it is built.

  4. John M says:

    I agree with JB, that the only way we will get some form of rail transport on the east-west line through Cheadle this decade, is by re-opening the stations and using the soon to be enhanced Piccadilly to Chester train service. To be fair the Stockport Council Rail Strategy document , commission by Iain states just that, a 2 step approach. With the train-trams as a follow-up running from Tameside to Altrincham, once a regular train service is established.

    • Stuart Thompson says:

      I agree with this 2-step approach. It is important that the land required for development of the station (and approaches to it) is ring-fenced so that it is not built upon. No doubt there will shortly be new housing constructed close to the station site. However experience elsewhere shows that property increases in value when a new station is opened nearby to that a developer building houses near a site for a new station will share in the increase in value produced by the station development. Building new houses in a grid-locked area without adequate transport minimises the benefit to both the community and the developer.

  5. David Doyle says:

    I also agree with the 2-step approach but let’s not forget, it was our council and councillors in days gone by who sold off accessible land that would now be prime for this type of transportation. Land sold to private hospitals, giant supermarkets and other tax-avoidance organisations is one issue, but why isn’t there a wider plan to accommodate the addition activity that these types projects bring; public transportation, affordable housing, roads and access … whilst jobs are important, so is quality of life. Opportunities were missed decades ago, but there’s two opportunities as I see it … the former coal yard site in Cheadle village, where incidentally Cheadle train station once sat, and the Travis Perkins builders yard – both prime, accessible locations .. compulsory purchase orders I think!

    • Iain Roberts says:

      Hi David – there is a wider plan (for Stockport it’s a combination of our Rail Strategy and the SEMMMS strategy). There’s the land to do it too – the council has been careful to reserve the land needed for rail and metrolink. What we’re lacking is the money to implement it all.

  6. Jb says:

    If a demand for an orbital route really can be identified, for the immediate future re-instating rail services from Stalybridge to Stockport, Altrincham and possibly Chester should not be too difficult to organise using the existing infrastructure plus some new stops. The proposed stop at Cheadle seems to be taking an inordinate amount of time to progress even though its on a premier local traffic corridor. Can we be informed of the present situation please?

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