Park Bridge Residents’ Action Group & Fund have this week written to key decision makers at Tameside and Oldham Councils to urge immediate action to address road safety on the dangerous route that runs through our village.
This comes during Road Safety Week, a national moment dedicated to recognising the human cost of unsafe roads, something that Park Bridge knows all too well.
In August, a 70-year-old woman who was out walking on a summer day was tragically killed on Waggon Road, and in 2025 alone we have seen multiple major collisions, near-misses, and serious incidents involving speeding vehicles, stolen cars and reckless driving.
These are not one-offs, they are part of a pattern placing residents, children, walkers, cyclists, runners and horse riders at constant serious risk.
This was brought into sharp focus again in the last seven days with Storm Claudia. Several trees fell onto the road and overhead cables, blocking access, some residents even had to abandon their cars, yet despite this and the horrendous weather conditions, drivers still tried to cut through the village and use it as a rat run, oblivious to the dangers.
Road Safety Week reminds us: five people die on UK roads every day. Park Bridge refuses to stand by and watch another year of avoidable danger.
This week, we have submitted our updated Road Safety Proposal, shaped by resident feedback and our public consultation, calling for an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) enforced by ANPR cameras to stop dangerous rat-running traffic and protect our community.
A dangerous, historic village road that was never designed for modern traffic
The route through the village: Waggon Road, Mill Brow, Dean Terrace and Alt Lane were built for horses and carts, not modern traffic, and certainly not for:
- Speeding vehicles
- Stolen cars
- Motorbikes on pavements and bridleways
- Late-night racing
- Through-traffic avoiding main roads
Residents have repeatedly raised these issues for over a decade, but feel ignored, unsafe and let down.
Thanks to our recent public consultation on road safety in Park Bridge, we now have the data to prove how widespread the concern is.
What residents and visitors told us: the response is overwhelming
As part of our outreach to gain feedback on our urgent road safety proposal, we engaged residents and visitors with an online survey, as well as consulting with Alt Lane residents at a meeting.
From the 47 residents and visitors that took part in the online survey, the message is unambiguous:
- 98% believe urgent action is needed
- 94% are concerned about speeding vehicles
- 92% concerned about rat-running traffic
- 98% concerned about road safety for families and children
- 92% concerned about pedestrian, cycling and horse-riding safety
- 83% concerned about destruction of wildlife habitats
- 77% concerned about damage to heritage buildings
A clear mandate for our urgent road safety proposal
Our proposal for an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) enforced using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras outlines a fair, enforceable and balanced solution that protects residents, visitors, and the unique heritage environment, and this approach is strongly supported by those in the Park Bridge community.
More than eight out of 10 of those who shared feedback agree, ANPR is fair and effective, with 85% supporting ANPR enforcement (with or without small adjustments).
The majority of people who took park overwhelmingly agree (81%) that this proposal successfully balances reducing dangerous through-traffic while maintaining access for residents, visitors, business and essential services.
This is critical, the community wants safety, not isolation.
What residents and visitors said (summary of comments)
- Growing fear of using the road: people diving into hedges to avoid speeding cars
- Walkers avoiding the area entirely due to danger
- Desire for complementary measures like better signage, cobbles, road blocks and clearer pedestrian paths
- Strong feeling that the current situation is “dangerous” and “intolerable”
- View that ANPR must work alongside stronger barriers on closed roads
- Concerns about how deliveries, surprise visitors and emergency access will be managed: all addressed in our proposal
- Some believe closure of the road at Alt Lane should also remain on the table
- Universal agreement that “anything is better than what is in place at the moment”
These voices reinforce the urgency.
We have listened to feedback and have updated our proposal
After consulting with the Alt Lane residents group, who expressed concerns that the initial proposal didn’t go far enough in protecting residents and preventing risk to those that live on Alt Lane, we have updated the restricted route to stretch to the top end of Alt Lane.
Concerns were also raised in our online survey about access for deliveries, residents’ visitors and essential services. While ultimately, it is the local authorities that will determine the enforcement parameters if they decide to implement this, we strongly recommend that a system is in place to ensure these examples can be exempt from any punishment, minimising the impact to residents’ daily lives.
Please read our updated proposal in full below:
Park-Bridge-Residents-Action-Group-Fund-Road-Saftey-Proposal-November-2025Our proposal has been sent to key decision makers
We have written to:
- Tameside Executive Members
- Senior officers in Highways, Estates and Greenspace
- Oldham Council Cabinet Members
- Oldham Highways and Transport leads
- Ward councillors from both boroughs
- Local MPs’ offices
- Office for the Mayor of Greater Manchester
View our open letter that we sent below.
Oen-letter-on-road-saftey-in-Park-Bridge-November-2025This Road Safety Week, our message is clear
Enough is enough. How many more people must be seriously injured or killed before action is taken?
How long must residents raise the alarm before meaningful change happens?
Park Bridge is a historic village, with a unique environment, sites of biological importance, and a place enjoyed by thousands of walkers, cyclists, families and nature enthusiasts each year, not a shortcut between Oldham and Ashton.
We have been ignored for too long. This Road Safety Week, we’re asking Tameside and Oldham Councils to finally act.
Park Bridge needs a permanent, enforceable solution, and the community overwhelmingly backs ANPR.
How you can help
- Share this article and our proposal
- Email your councillors in Tameside or Oldham
- Report dangerous driving, incidents and near misses to GMP, this helps by providing important statistics on how dangerous the road is
- Drive safely, especially at night and in winter and encourage others to do so
- Join our mailing list for updates
Park Bridge is worth fighting for: not just for us, but for future generations.