The Mellor Society

Out and about

Mending the roads: the story of a successful community project in Mellor

Parkside Lane and Old Hall Lane, next to the Memorial Park, are private unadopted roads, which means that the residents are responsible for their maintenance.   In recent years the condition of these roads deteriorated badly, and in June 2006, all residents received a letter from Stockport Council, offering to adopt them.  However, this would come at a price to each property, of between £300 and £350 per metre of frontage.   So for a house of, say, 20 metres frontage, that would have meant a cost of between £6,000 and £7,000.

A no-brainer, obviously!   And apart from the high cost, we didn’t fancy the prospect of tarmac, kerbs and pavements etc.  However, something had to be done, especially as the emergency services had reported difficulties in gaining access to some properties.  How about a DIY approach?

So all residents were invited to a meeting to discuss possibilities.  About half turned up, and a small working group was set up to look into the options.  Many months later we met again.  Quotations had been received for the resurfacing, which could be done for around £80,000.  At an average of around £2,500 per household, this felt a bit more affordable than the Council’s price.

But what sort of road surface should we have?  Opinions were varied: should it be a sealed surface or an unsealed one?  Should we use ‘tar spray and chip’ to prevent surface water erosion on the sloping sections?  Should there be traffic calming measures?  Meanwhile, the houses at the cul-de-sac end of Parkside (beyond Fernhill) had pulled out altogether.   And £2,500 was still a lot of money.

But fortunately one resident, Peter Lowe, is a builder and civil engineer, and he generously offered to put in a much lower quote for the work.  Over the next few months the working group managed to reconcile the conflicting views of different residents, while persuading Stockport Council to meet 50% of the cost, on the grounds that Old Hall Lane is a public right of way, and the Council is owner of the Memorial Gardens.  And in the end a specification was agreed by the overwhelming majority; 25 of the 29 households agreed to contribute, and the work was completed in December and January.

The result is a transformation: we are pleased with the result, and it’s particularly satisfying to have achieved it through a community effort, and at a cost of only £350 per household – a fraction of the cost quoted by the Council.  The secret, perhaps, was the time span – it was two-and-a-half years from the Council’s adoption letter to completion of the work.   Many residents had reservations at first, and it took time to take everyone’s opinion fully into account.  If you haven’t taken a look, why not stop off to admire our restored roads next time you pass the ‘Oak’?  (But watch out for the traffic calming!).

David Hoult, 9 Old Hall Lane

---