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Get it Sorted (Chris Ohu in Friday's "Manchester Evening News")

DANGER! BLIND BEND!

This week’s “M.E.N” Get It sorted Campaign tackles a dangerous hedge. This time it’s Styal Road (and when we took IG to airport yesterday – we drove down here as kittens wanted to see a nearby National Trust Quarry Bank again - indeed a nasty hedge growing right out into the road at on point)

Per the Manchester press Styal Road is a major commuting route in South Manchester and naturally lot or airport and M56/M60 bound traffic use it.

The road is a narrow rural 40mph running to NSL road and per the paper this massive hedge drivers and cyclists alike run into a blind spot at the junction at Lomond road between Heald Green and Gatley. Having experienced this myself on the drive to Quarry Bank with the kids – the hedge actually grows into the roadway itself and drivers and cyclists have to move into the middle of the road to see and in the case of the cyclists in particular to avoid colliding with the jungle!

“M.E.N.” reader a retired policeman notified the “Get It Sorted” team. He tried to sort it himself but failed because a third of the foliage is in Manchester, a third in Stockport and the rest in Cheshire and ran into red tape over it. (council jobsworthy "ofisshulls!" )

The retired policeman blamed a recent head on collision between two cars on this hedge saying the drivers just did not see each other because of the hedge rambling across the road at this bend and also recalls a charity bicycle ride having a near miss because of it. “A KSI waiting to happen” he said. (Bet the first answer would be a scam from the scammers – seems to be our mob’s solution! ) The land behind the hedge belongs to Manchester CC and is leased to Wythenshawe Community Farm. Manchester CC agreed to act after the local paper muscled in. According to the paper they have sent an inspection team and are now making arrangement to trim it down.

The hazard warning signs and a speed limit sign are completed hidden by the hedge and Stockport’s answers is for a street lighting team to ensure the signs are lit – “Traffic will see it then”! (You could not make it up… why not help with the trim on their side?)

The Manchester Paper’s “Get It Sorted “ team handle reader complaints on eyesores and hazards in the Manchester area. Makes an entertaining read!

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Well done to him, but he didn't need to contact the MEN to have it done, all he needed to do was contact the local counil involved highways department, then they will send someone out access it and it should get it sorted, I know that this does not all ways happen, but they should at least them them have a go first.

Stephen