Residents have their say on the good and bad in Irlam

SalfordNow recently posted an article that identified Irlam as a highly desirable town for work commuters travelling into Manchester.

Since the article has been posted it has, to say the least, caused quite a stir in the Irlam and Cadishead community. Some laughed at the article, some agreed with the article and others were downright furious with the findings.

Therefore SalfordNow felt it was only right to ask the community why they feel this way. But in order to understand this, we must first remind ourselves of the study’s findings.

Overall, the study found that Irlam had an average of zero crimes per 1,000 residents, a 16 minute train journey into Manchester, and a nine per cent rate of outstanding schools. The average price of a house in Irlam is also £229,214.

Out of these findings, one that was almost unanimously disagreed on was the travel times. Many residents argued that travelling out of Irlam during rush hour traffic is nothing short of a “nightmare” and even “soul destroying at times.”

Residents explained that the reoccurring traffic issue is caused by the “one way in – one way out” road system in Irlam.

Dave Taylor, 43, of Irlam, added: “There are only two roads in/out of Irlam and Cadishead and with the amount of people living here, it causes traffic delays very easily.

“We need a road connecting us to the M62 for example via a new junction or bridges to be built allowing us access to other areas, as we are completely cut off once we have a traffic jam.”

Public transport in Irlam and Cadishead was further deemed by residents as “rubbish” due to train cancellations. Residents also added that when there is an accident on the M6, M62, or M60 they are “gridlocked” on the roads.

Albeit the transport issues, many Irlam residents actually understood why the area was reported as desirable for commuters. After the article was posted it was quite nice to see that a lot of residents pride themselves on the good in Irlam and Cadishead.

Liz Piggott Himme, 66, of Cadishead, said: “Having moved to the area from the Midlands in 1986, people in Cadishead and Irlam don’t realise how lucky they are.

“They have the best community possible, there is always someone able to help folk out, one way or another. Community spirit is the best.

“Travel, yes, it takes a fair while from time to time with congestion. But it’s not as bad as living in a big city. Primary schools are really good, but the high school leaves a lot to be desired. We have the same issues as everywhere else, but the spirit of the community is the best.”

Irlam resident, John Alker added: “If there’s any type of roadworks or incident then it’s difficult to get out of the area or you have to travel a very long way out of your way to get where you need to be.

“Other than that I’ve lived in Irlam for 10 years and the facilities are great with lots of green open space to explore along with some great bars and restaurants opening up. Being so close to the Trafford Centre there isn’t much more you could want in the area.”

SalfordNow spoke to the now-retired Salford Labour Councillor, Roger, 70,  who represented Irlam Ward and then Higher Irlam & Peel Green Ward for 39 years.

Roger stated: “Some local residents say we only have one road in from the Salford direction and one road in from the Warrington direction  – the A57. I regard that as normal for a small town of 20,000 population which has the Manchester Ship Canal down one side and Chat Moss on the other side.

“The road through to the M6 is a single lane in each direction, but a proposed dual carriageway could only be carried out by Warrington Borough Council and I assume it is not one of their priorities.”

Roger argued that overall, public transport in Irlam is “good” however residents are “100 per cent right to say that buses and trains have not been reliable over the last two years and significant improvements are needed.”

Overall it’s fair to say that Irlam and Cadishead residents feel very passionate about the issues raised in this article. Some residents agreed with the report while others had a very different opinion. It does seem that no matter the opinion, Greater Manchester areas like Irlam are being particularly sought out as Manchester City continues to burst with employment.