Progress takes a long time. There have been some positive developments recently which have been on the way for years; Working together with Trafford Council, things are starting to move forward. We’ve now had notification from the council that a footbridge across Stamford New Road is coming down a prelude to the work to revamp Altrincham’s transport interchange, but it’s all taken time; It was more than five years ago that I started chairing meetings of the Council; Friends and Civic groups and the Transport Executive, in an effort to galvanise activity over the redevelopment. Now the first stage will take place over three weekends this month. The interchange will provide people with a safer, fully integrated transport hub and will provide an impressive new gateway for visitors.
For as long as I’ve been in Parliament, I’ve been one of the voices pushing for investment in Altrincham’s hospital. At first we were trying to stop closure, then it was fighting for investment and improvement. Now a planning application has been submitted for a new hospital, to include out-patients, minor injuries; diagnostics and physiotherapy. It would have shops at ground level and dedicated parking spaces. Work will start on the £10 million four storey hospital in late autumn if the application gets approval.
Another campaign which has come to fruition is the redevelopment at St Ambrose College in Hale Barns. Classrooms were unfit for habitation and no-one was arguing otherwise. I managed to speak to the then Labour Education Minister and secure her agreement, but even though everyone concurred, it took a long time between agreement and building work. The students will now have excellent facilities in which to learn, but the most important lesson for us in reinvigorating our area, is that patience and persistence bring their own rewards.