By Declan Carey

Copyright manchestereveningnews

A Greater Manchester village known for its leafy streets has been left divided over a major issue affecting residents and businesses. Romiley, based to the east of Stockport town centre, is a popular spot for families and commuters looking for a sense of community, along with a busy mix of shops, culture, and places to eat or drink. Residents in the village say its location close to the town centre and M60 motorway often means main roads are full of cars, especially during the morning rush hour. To see planning applications; traffic and road diversions and layout changes; and more, visit the Public Notices Portal HERE Stockport council and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) have started to bring travel upgrades to the area to tackle the congestion problem. The latest phase of the work started this month on Compstall Road in the centre of the village, which will get a new two-way cycling track along one side of the high street according to drawings for the project, in an upgrade of the crossing in Romiley Precinct for segregated pedestrian and cyclist use. The town hall said the Romiley phase of works will cost around £1.8m. The idea is to create cycling connections to nearby streets, offering routes through quieter roads and residential areas. It will also see Central Drive, a road between the shops and a housing estate, made a one-way street running from the main road. This work is expected to take months to complete, with a pause scheduled on November 21 for the Christmas period before it picks up again in early 2026. But it has left huge sections of the pavement and part of Compstall Road behind construction barriers. Some residents and businesses questioned whether the disruption it will cause could bring more harm than good to the village. Jay Dunn is the owner of The Crafty Vendor, a bar on the corner of Compstall and Oakwood Road. He set up in the village four years ago with the intention of becoming a key part of the local nightlife scene. Works taking place on Compstall Road could put people off stopping for a drink in the seating area outside the bar, he warned, also raising fears about how it could impact his business once the changes are done. “It’s going to massively impact us, we normally have people sitting outside, we get up to 18 and 28 people there,” he said. “We could lose 30 to 57 thousand pounds a year because of this. That’s life changing, it means I can’t open my next business and need to find a new career.” The Crafty Vendor is not the only business worried about the impact of the works. Further up the road Thomas Cooper is standing outside The Handyman, a hardware DIY shop which he owns. Part of the frustration about the works is the lack of notice about it starting from the council, he explained. “As a business we were only told about the work two weeks ago. “It’s had a massive impact on us, they’ve closed both the bus stops so people who come into the village are struggling to leave.” He was also worried about the timing of the work starting now, when people are starting to think ahead to Christmas and plan their shopping. “We’ve lost confidence in the council because of stuff like this.” The travel upgrades have been taking place around the area for the last few months before the start of the latest phase of work. Join our Stockport WhatsApp group HERE In April, works finished to install a new signal-controlled crossing for pedestrians and cyclists on Compstall Road, by the rear access to Romiley Park. The council said the new crossing replaced a previous uncontrolled crossing island, at what it considers a ‘key location’ in the village. Then in August a new signal-controlled crossing for pedestrians and cyclists on Stockport Road, near Green Lane, was completed. The changes are all part of the wider plan of making Romiley, with its shops and local services, more accessible to people. But some residents said they couldn’t see what improvements the latest phase of work with the cycle track would bring. A cyclist named Paul approached to speak about the works taking place. He said: “I cycle to work but I go on the road, it’s dead easy, I just won’t use this, there’s no benefit. They could be spending the money on better things than this, like the garden waste collections.” The feeling was shared among other cyclists in the village, who felt there could be more done to make it easier to get around on a bike. Simon Boydell, a Romiley resident, said: “I’m a cyclist and that’s a waste of money, it’s not big, what’s the point of it, it’s someone who does not cycle making decisions about cycling lanes. “The cyclists won’t use this when it’s built, I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s going to cut off a lot of the pavement so it’s going to affect businesses.” Others were less worried, accepting the temporary disruption and welcoming the chance to get some cars off the road. James Summercales, 35, from Romiley, said: “It’s a bit disruptive at the moment but the roads are so busy so I’m happy to get more people cycling. “It’s really busy here, there’s loads of traffic. I think more of this is great in general, there are a lot more cars now and people moving to the area.” For its part, Stockport council insisted that the works will make it easier to walk and cycle for residents in Romiley. It said the works were moved forward on the back of a large-scale consultation between 2020 and 2021, and added that the improvements are designed to make travel safer, more inclusive and more attractive for residents of all ages. Coun Grace Baynham, cabinet member for parks, highways and transport services, said: “We are investing in Romiley’s future, making it easier and safer to walk and cycle, helping to reduce congestion, support our local businesses and creating a healthier environment for future generations. “We’re grateful to residents and businesses for their patience and cooperation as the final phases of these works along the high street are delivered. “Businesses in Romiley remain open as usual, and we continue to work closely with those most directly affected by the project. “We are also coordinating with event organisers to ensure that key community events can go ahead as planned, with works being paused over the Christmas period so Romiley’s festive celebrations can take place.” A Transport for Greater Manchester spokesperson added: “Active travel funding was approved by the Bee Network Committee in 2024 to enable Stockport council to build a new active travel route between Romiley and Stockport. “Once complete, this scheme will make it easier and safer for people to walk, wheel or cycle between Romiley and Stockport as part of the wider Bee Network, and provide a convenient link to bus services at Stockport Interchange and rail connections at the nearby train station.”