Sorry to come over all Tom Forth but it's definitely illustrative of SOMETHING that the BBC managed to produce an article about the possible closure of the main road between two core cities without feeling the need to mention the impact on either of those cities or the people who live there. - ThreadSky

centristmum.bsky.social • 25 days ago

Sorry to come over all Tom Forth but it's definitely illustrative of SOMETHING that the BBC managed to produce an article about the possible closure of the main road between two core cities without feeling the need to mention the impact on either of those cities or the people who live there.

Reposted from Unofficial BBCNews (UK) Bot

Snake Pass: Could famous driving road close to cars?

Comments

leftback.bsky.social•25 days ago

I read that article and if I didn't know it was, as you say, pretty much the only way to get directly between two cities I'd have thought it was a few miles of scenic short cut with a popular pub in the middle. I know hating on the beeb is passe now, but bloody hell lass who wrote it.

callicramed.bsky.social•25 days ago

The snake pass it absolutely fit for purpose in the 21st century. What are you on about?

celestialweasel.bsky.social•25 days ago

lindyloocody2.bsky.social•25 days ago

This is what happens when you start a motorway and don't finish it. The M67 is five miles long and finishes just short of Mottram. Should have gone all the way to Sheffield. Because it didn't the closure of Snake is a possibility.

jameschalmers.bsky.social•25 days ago

What on earth is a "driving road" anyway? The tone makes it sound like it's just some kind of scenic hobby route.

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

Perhaps I'm being too cynical but I wonder if the author has been there on holiday recently. Maybe did some cycling.

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

It's a shame because it's otherwise an interesting piece and the current funding arrangement is clearly quite unfair on Derbyshire (the treasury refusing to fund it is unsurprising but also where spelling out the impacts of closure might have been useful)

webweasel.bsky.social•25 days ago

Probably an unpopular opinion, but if it can’t be funded out of general taxation, why not make it a toll road? The logistics are probably insurmountable (act of parliament?) but it’s possible.

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

So you could but I'd argue quite strongly that making users of inadequate road systems pay to use them while the bits of the country that had investment in the first place get to use it for free is unfair

webweasel.bsky.social•25 days ago

Don’t disagree but it is a road with uniquely high maintenance costs. Also, as the article points out it’s paid for by Derbyshire but it connects Sheffield and Glossop which don’t pay anything towards its upkeep.

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

Yeah the current funding arrangement is clearly unfair and expecting Sheffield and Manchester to contribute a bit doesn't seem unreasonable (although given it's economic importance, neither does treasury support)

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

If they wanted to build a fancy tunnel road that would be meaningfully quicker I think it would be reasonable for that to be tolled but they clearly aren't going to

webweasel.bsky.social•25 days ago

It’s also a question of the toll. A bridge near here has a toll of 5p. It you wanted a tunnel it might be £20

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

Eynsham? There can't be two of them!

leftback.bsky.social•25 days ago

Unfortunately my only exposure to Derbyshire is Dead Man's Shoes, which presents a place so grey that the council could probably use the money they have from not having any colour anywhere to build a 10 lane motorway in its place.

oldtrotter.bsky.social•25 days ago

Yes, although it’s not the main route between the two, it really would put a lot of pressure on Woodhead. One of the predictable, and predicted, results of the detrunking programme combined with a squeeze on LA funding.

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

Main road is possibly overstating it a bit although I think it's probably equal with Woodhead and Woodhead just doesn't have the capacity to be the only road between the two (and huge impacts on journey times from e.g. Fulwood; Glossop)

olivermantell.bsky.social•25 days ago

It’d increase journey times from South Sheffield, too (by 15 mins, Google tells me: not a disaster, but…).

Also odd that the article didn't say it's the A57 [exc. for a sign in a pic], which might've highlighted that 'it's very pretty, but perhaps it could be a cycle track!' was missing the point…

t0nyyates.bsky.social•25 days ago

Bizarre long history at the beginning.

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

I found it quite interesting but yes if they were constrained for space it's not obvious that was the priority

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

You'd also push a bunch of traffic onto Winnats Pass which absolutely does not have the capacity to take it

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

Also if you've been to Snake and Woodhead but not Winnats, oh wow you're missing out

aremay.bsky.social•25 days ago

duncanstott.bsky.social•25 days ago

I was up Mam Tor last year - I didn't realise how close Snake Pass was to that area.

oldtrotter.bsky.social•25 days ago

I've ridden up Winnats many times (and have photos to prove it 😂). No need to use that route to get from Sheffield even if the Snake is closed. Just head for Tideswell.

amazingmikeyc.bsky.social•25 days ago

Yeah I grew up at the Sheffield end of the a57 in crosspool and it is insane how "going to Manchester" was hardly on my radar because it felt so far away. And this makes it further away!

amazingmikeyc.bsky.social•25 days ago

Utterly nuts too that you get stuck in mottram for half an hour whatever you do as well!

siobhanmcandrew.bsky.social•25 days ago

The tone is very much 'ah well, there probably shouldn't have been a road there anyway, won't it be nice for cyclists'

But how are we meant to get to work?!

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

Yeah 'lots of people live in Glossop or Crosspool because it allows one partner to commute into Manchester and the other to commute to Sheffield' feels like it should be relevant information!

timleachwriter.bsky.social•25 days ago

It's okay, the Transpennine Express is a notoriously reliable and comprehensive train service, so it doesn't matter if the major road connection between two of the largest English cities is a total shambles.

Ah. We regret to inform you etc...

cjayanetti.bsky.social•25 days ago

although contra-Forth, she's Not London - appears to be based in Nottingham, has been there ages, has never worked or studies in London afaict from her LinkedIn

but certainly the impression I got from reading the article was it was some tourist trail, not an important intercity link

worgztheowl.bsky.social•25 days ago

It's such an important link it's *insane* it hasn't been replaced by a whacking great road or rail route. The A30 of the north.

leftback.bsky.social•25 days ago

Well I did my Research* and ACKSHEWELLY the A628 is now the main signposted route between Manchester and Sheffield

*Looked at wikipedia.

Also... I hold Views on Nottingham. That Blue Labour movement? 100% Nottingham. Lee 'Walking Spite Lich' Anderson? Nottingham.

gsds3.bsky.social•25 days ago

Off the front page of BBC News it’s ‘Englands most picturesque road’ which a) is quite the reach and news for places in the Lakes b) clearly just a pwetty little road for tourists to bumble along

centristmum.bsky.social•25 days ago

Should have known not to trust Nottingham when they claimed the legacy of Robin Hood even though he's clearly from Sheffield

tpgroberts.bsky.social•25 days ago

Theft is entirely against the spirit of the legend of Robin Hood.

indy.bsky.social•25 days ago

The Midlands are not the South, but they are also not the North.

cjayanetti.bsky.social•25 days ago

what Elle doesn't say is that she only calls herself "centrist mum" cos she lives in the centre of England. she's actually a hardcore Marxist

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply