Are Vital Ormskirk Town Centre Road Repairs being delayed because they would Show Derby Street Bridge Plans to be Unworkable?

Our West Lancashire write to Lancashire’s Highways Chief asking for road resurfacing in town centre without further delay

Council Independents, Our West Lancashire have today written to Lancashire Highways Chief, Councillor Rupert Swarbrick calling for urgent road resurfacing to take place on Stanley Street, Derby Street West and Derby Street in the town centre.  They have also repeated their call for a formal trial of single lane operation before works are started to permanently reduce the railway bridge on Derby Street to a single lane.

Our West Lancashire’s, Gordon Johnson, a former Mayor of West Lancashire said, “The road surfaces around parts of the one way system in Ormskirk are atrocious and have been for many months.  They continue to deteriorate and residents are being fobbed off.   Many roads are in poor condition but the surfaces on Stanley Street, Derby Street and Derby Street West in particular are atrocious and need urgent resurfacing. 

We’ve heard that the County Council won’t repair these roads until June at the earliest.  They say this is to tie in with their plans to turn the Derby Street railway bridge into single lane operation.  One wonders if the reason they don’t want to do the repairs now is because closing off lanes to complete the road surface repairs might well show that their plans for the railway bridge are unworkable.”

OWL also said that Cllr Swarbrick had yet to fulfil his promise to come to Ormskirk and meet with local councillors over the railway bridge plans.  OWL Chairman, Adrian Owens said, “He cancelled on the very morning of a scheduled visit 9 months or so ago and hasn’t rescheduled.  It seems Lancashire County Council won’t justify their single lane plans to local elected representatives, and we’ve asked Cllr Swarbrick to make good his promise to meet with local councillors.    

Currently they refuse to carry out a formal trial of single lane operation over the bridge and their negligence over essential road repairs is baffling.  It might be explained by their not wanting to close off lanes in the town centre during those road repairs in case it proves their doubters right that single lane operation of the railway bridge would bring permanent traffic congestion.”