‘Clipper Cabin’ owner Leanne Thornton concerned Council plans for double yellow lines will destroy her business

The double yellow lines (marked by blue lines) surrounds Leanne's shop (marked by the red circle)

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Hairdresser Leanne Thornton is concerned Rochdale Borough Council’s plans to introduce double yellow lines on Pilsworth Road and Regent Street in Heywood will negatively impact her business, ‘Clipper Cabin’.

The lines would leave no space for customers to park near to Leanne’s business, one of Heywood’s longest standing barber shops.

She said: “I have owned the shop for five-and-a-half but the business has been open for over 100 years.

"The traffic department is threatening to put down lines all around my shop so no customers will be able to park outside or even nearby.

“I believe the lines will hugely damage my business, especially if people cannot park, especially elderly or disabled customers, and parents with their children. Some of the pensioners have been coming to the shop for over 40 years and would struggle walking to the shop if they can't park outside, so I would lose them.”

Leanne bought the business at the historic wooden cabin three months after the former owner, Steve Williamson died. He had previously been a barber at the cabin for 32 years, taking over from Sammy Greenwood when he retired.

The hairdresser is currently operating the business from a shipping container next to the old site whilst new premises is built. The cabin, thought to date to the 1890s, was demolished because of safety reasons.

Leanne continued: “If I’d have known about this, I wouldn’t have spent thousands on buying the old wooden cabin shop, applying for planning permission, or building my new shop. There are three of us working at the shop and that could be three jobs lost if our customers can't park.

"We also have children visiting daily especially after 3pm and on Saturdays, so the children visiting need to be protected too especially when parents are trying to get siblings out the car and everyone safely into the shop.

“One reason given for the lines is because of the high number of pedestrians crossing; Woodland’s Primary School is behind my shop. Most children are driven to school or walk home with their parents so a pedestrian crossing would be just as, if not more, useful.

“Another reason given was to improve traffic flow. I'm in the shop for up to ten hours a day and there are never any traffic jams. It's a wide road so people think they can speed. By putting lines down, they will open the road up more making it more tempting for people to speed.

“Nearly all the neighbours are against the lines. Instead, I think it would be more beneficial to have a pedestrian crossing, speed bumps or a speed camera.”

Leanne has also started a petition with around 530 signatures, and says she raised this issue at the recent township meeting, but the request was refused due to cost.

She is also looking into seeing if wasteland to the rear of the shop can be transformed into a car park.

She added: “The request [for an alternative measure] was refused due to cost, yet they have spent over £300,000 on the bollard under the bridge. It’s broken at least once a month and even that affects my business because customers can’t easily access me. It can also it difficult for us to get to work as my staff and I live in Radcliffe.”

The rising bollard on Pilsworth Road was set to be reviewed in 2015 following several accidents.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/94525/rising-bollard-on-pilsworth-road-to-be-reviewed

Leanne concluded: “I just feel the council has let me down tremendously and I have lost any faith in them or that my business will survive once the lines are in place.”

Andrew Storey, head of highways at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Double yellow lines will be introduced along a section of Pilsworth Road and Regent Street because indiscriminate parking has compromised safety in the area. The road is used by a number of local school children and cars have previously parked directly at the school crossing area, significantly limiting visibility at this key junction.

“Pilsworth Road in particular, as a significant key route from Heywood to the M66, is also busy, and limiting parking here will improve traffic flow.

"People will still be able to unload and drop off on the double yellow lines and disabled drivers will be able to park on them for three hours while displaying their blue badge.

"The introduction of a formal crossing would impose further parking restrictions in the area, such as white zig zag markings, where stopping is prohibited.”