Motorist beware – new parking restrictions coming on Park Road

We have been informed that Salford City Council will shortly commence work on the notorious accident blackspot that is the Park Road/Walkden Road mini-roundabout.

Among the changes are double-yellow lines along Park Road – a popular parking spot for station users. While we understand the reduced congestion will improve the quality of life for residents, it will also make parking harder for rail users.

We have been advised the new parking restrictions will be rigorously enforced by traffic wardens.

FOWS have pointed out to the council the unfairness of restricting parking without making any alternate provision – and this at a time when the council is supposedly promoting public transport use !

Among the other changes planned are road and pavement resurfacing, and the installation of new bollards and railings.

FOWS’s calls for a pedestrian crossing were rejected by the council for fear of the delays it would cause for motorists.

New In Bloom planters add a festive touch to Walkden !

Tired but happy ! FOWS volunteers with the new planters on Walkden station.

Thanks to a second “In Bloom” grant from Salford City Council the Friends of Walkden Station have completed a series of improvements to the environment at Walkden station.

The centrepieces of the latest works are two new stainless steel planters at the eastern end of the island platform (left). In the same style as the three planters already installed further down the platform, the new arrivals have slightly smaller dimensions and house two young conifers – topped off with festive silver and purple tinsel !

In addition to the new planters, FOWS have installed a brand new flower bed in a derelict area of land at the opposite end of the platform, as well as refreshing the larger flower beds on both Wigan and Manchester platforms.

Finally, the nearby Walkden Road shops are also to benefit from a set of Christmas wreaths.

As usual, FOWS have used local companies for their station improvement projects – the planters have been built by local engineering company J. Hughes and the plants and gardening materials are supplied by Linnyshaw Garden Centre.

Flower beds get a winter makeover !

Wigan border full of new plants

Friends of Walkden braved the sub-zero temperature this morning to freshen up the flower beds on both platforms at Walkden. Weeds and dead plants were removed to be replaced with a collection of hebes, mini-conifers, pansies, peoris and ornamental roses amongst others.

The plants have all been funded by a Salford City Council “In Bloom” grant, which is also paying for some new planters currently being manufactured for FOWS by J. Hughes Engineering of Monton.

We hope all station users will enjoy and respect the new plants … and leave them where they are … J

Another new flower bed at Walkden

The new flower bed - before the FOWS makeover

FOWS have planted up the vacant border at the west (road bridge) end of the Manchester platform with a collection of grasses, euonymous, cyclamen and primulas.

The plants have been funded by a new In Bloom grant from Salford City Council, which is also paying for improvements to the existing beds and some new planters – all to be installed by FOWS over the next few weeks.

 

FOWS volunteers with the newly planted bed

This plot of land had been left vacant in the expectation that the station roof renovators would require access through this area, but that work is now understood to have been scheduled for the next financial year, so FOWS decided to “pretty it up” in the meantime.

FOWS are grateful to Salford City Council and the In Bloom project for their continued generous support of our efforts to improve the environment in and around the station.

FOWS pipped at the post again !

For the second time in the space of a month FOWS have narrowly missed out on an award. On Thursday we attended Salford City Council’s Community & Social Care Awards ceremony at Buile Hall where we were on the short-list in the Best Community Activist Or Group Nominated By The Public category.

Unfortunately for us we didn’t win, but we’d like to express our sincere and hearty congratulations to Charles Patten who volunteers at the Guild Hall over-60’s and visual impairment groups – a very worthy winner !

Walkden Station “In Bloom” with three large planters

Today FOWS volunteers turned out in Bank Holiday rain to install three large planters on the station platform, paid for by a Salford City Council “In Bloom” grant. For more details and pictures of the planters and the planting event, please click here.

Pedestrian Crossing campaign continues

One of FOWS concerns is the dangerous and thoroughly unpleasant road crossing that passengers face under the bridge immediately outside the station. Over the last year we’ve been in discussion with Salford Council about affordable measures to improve the situation and we were pleased when they recently agreed to send a survey team to monitor the number of people crossing the road outside the station.

The survey was conducted yesterday, and while it offers no guarantee that a crossing will be built (that will depend on the results of the survey and numerous other road planning considerations), we applaud the council for having taken this important step forward.

Lucky Swinton gets £50,000 investment

You may have seen the article in last week’s Salford Advertiser about the £50,000 grant that GMPTE have secured from the Department of Transport for improvements to Swinton station. No-one could deny Swinton needs improvement, but FOWS are at a loss to understand how Swinton was prioritised above Walkden when:

• Walkden has many more passengers than Swinton
• Walkden is missing all the same facilities that Swinton is missing
• Walkden has more steps to the platform
• Walkden does not have a pedestrian crossing outside
• Walkden doesn’t even have a front door to secure it at night !

This comes on top of last year’s announcement of GMPTE grants to Bolton and Wigan councils to improve facilities at stations between Atherton and Wigan.

FOWS are writing to GMPTE to ask for an explanation of their priorities for local stations.

Second Flower Bed at Walkden

FOWS volunteers have planted up a second disused flower bed at Walkden station, this time on the Manchester-bound platform. The north-facing site has been planted with shade-dwelling shrubs and winter flowers purchased with a Salford City Council grant.For more pictures of the gardening project, please click here.

Northern remove graffiti quickly

Thanks to Northern Rail and maintenance contractors ISS for moving quickly to obliterate the latest outbreak of graffiti within 24 hours.

In contrast to Northern’s sppedy action, an article in today’s Salford Advertiser reports that GMPTE don’t plan to make any significant investment in stations like Walkden for up to 10 years … I’m afraid it looks like those “Life on Mars” headlines will hold true for quite some time unless GMPTE change their plans.

FOWS are grateful for an excellent series of articles in the Advertiser by Pamela Welsh that have focused on the state of Walkden station and public transport in Greater Manchester generally. You can read Pamela’s previous article online here.

If you think this isn’t good enough and GMPTE should be doing more to encourage the use and development of Walkden station, why not write to your local councillor or the chair of GMPTE Roger Jones ? All councillors contact details can be found on the Salford website.