Lenny Grice

The Highways Agency is advising drivers using the M60 between junctions 19 at Middleton and 23 at Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester to allow extra time to complete their journeys over the next six weekends.

Starting Friday (June 19), work is being carried out along this 6-mile section each weekend until August, weather permitting.

A full carriageway closure will be in place with a contraflow on the opposite side of the motorway while the work is being carried out. Various entry and exit slip roads will also need to be closed.

The work is taking place over weekends when traffic volumes are lighter and disruption to drivers can be kept to a minimum – however some delays can be expected. Work will start each Friday at 9pm and the motorway will be fully reopened by 5am each Monday.

To ensure the ongoing safety of road-users and our workforce, a 40mph speed limit will be in place throughout the roadworks – which are planned to be completed by 5am, July 27.

Overhead message signs will be used to advise drivers of the closures so they can choose an alternative route.

Highways Agency project manager Manuelle Salathe said:
“We regret any disruption this work may cause to drivers and would encourage them to plan their journey in advance and allow for extra time to get to their destination.”

The exploratory works are taking place to assess the condition of the carriageway on this section of the M60.

The Highways Agency’s North West Traffic Officer Service will deploy extra crews for the duration of the work with a dedicated patrol to cover the roadworks area and react quickly to any breakdowns or accidents to help keep drivers on the move.

The Highways Agency Regional Control Centre will be monitoring incidents and traffic conditions from motorway cameras as well as using electronic signs to provide drivers with up-to-the-minute information.

Come to the St. Ann’s Hospice Summer Fair this Saturday, 20th June, from 12 to 3pm.  Entry is jusy £1 (accompanied children free).  There’s a BBQ, bouncy castle along with lots of other stalls and fun.

Congratulations to Wendy Orrell, the new Liberal Democrat councillor for Stepping Hill following last Thursday’s local council by-election.
A by-election was called following the sad death of Cllr Maggie Clay.  The Conservatives had activists visiting from far and wide: having lost Stockport to the Lib Dems in the Euro elections, they needed to show they could win something.

But when the votes came in, the Conservative share of the vote fell.

Wendy was elected with a majority of 443 over the Conservatives, with Labour pushed into fourth place behind UKIP.

The full result:

LD 1779 (47.38%)
Con 1336 (35.58%)
UKIP 257 (6.84%)
Lab 225 (5.99%)
Green 158 (4.21%)
In the by-election, the Conservatives claimed, entirely falsely, that Wendy Orrell didn’t live in Stepping Hill ward.  In reality, Wendy has lived locally for forty years and was the only candidate who did live in the ward.  Following legal threats, they admitted the mistake and printed a retraction, but still haven’t apologised.

Thank you to everyone across Stockport who gave the Liberal Demcrats your support in the European elections last week.

For the first time ever, the Liberal Democrats topped the vote across the whole of Stockport Borough and also won both Cheadle and Hazel Grove parliamentary constituencies.

Across the whole country only 11 local authority areas had higher Lib Dem votes than Stockport.
You returned our hard working MEP Chris Davies to fight our corner in Europe.

All our Lib Dem Members of the European Parliament will be working hard to get the best deal for Britain and make Europe work for us.

Stronger together - poorer apart.

Help us reform parliament in Britain and Change Politics for Good:

I want the right to sack my MP

I want to know MPs can’t be bought
off by party donors

I want the right to find out what
government is doing

I want the power of government
to be cut down

I want my vote to count

Visit TakeBackPower.org and read the full plan for reform: 100 Days to Save Democracy. Sign the petition, spread the word and join the campaign online.

Read Mark Hunter’s views on the MPs’ expenses scandal at AboutMyArea.

Come along to the Cheadle Hulme Precinct between 11am and 3pm on Saturday 24th January to celebrate the start of the Chinese Year of the Ox.

There’ll be lots of fun, including face painting, chinese dancing and morris dancing.

The event is being organised by Linda Lee from the Rainbow 88 restaurant.