An Oldham firefighter has criticised road closures in the borough which he says have impacted the fire service's ability to attend incidents.
Aaron Lee is a firefighter for the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) stationed in Oldham and is known for raising more than £160,000 for charity since the Manchester Arena bombing.
In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday (October 18), Mr Lee responded to The Oldham Times' story on a crash near Grains Bar on Tuesday night, criticising the council for the road closures currently in place.
Mr Lee wrote: "@OldhamCouncil the road closures in and around Oldham at the minute are dangerous! The queuing traffic is having an impact on our response.
"Closing two main routes into our borough at the same time isn’t safe."
@OldhamCouncil the road closures in and around Oldham at the minute are dangerous! The queuing traffic is having an impact on our response.
— Aaron Lee (@aaronlp1) October 18, 2023
Closing two main routes into our borough at the same time isn’t safe. https://t.co/BM3s25LJeZ
At the time of the crash, a number of key roads were closed for a number of reasons, including works by the council, United Utilities, and Electricity North West.
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Cllr Chris Goodwin Cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “Oldham Council is responsible for looking after our highways network and making sure it is fit for purpose.
“This means we have to carry out works on our highways. These are scheduled to cause the minimum inconvenience to road users and pedestrians. So they can be carried out safely and in the quickest possible time we have to put road closures and diversions in place, and sometimes these can last for long periods, depending on the project size. That’s the same across the country.
READ MORE: Women 'lucky to be alive' after suspected drunk driver crash into pair in Oldham
“Emergency services are notified well in advance about any long term pre-planned road works so they can make alternative arrangements.
“Sometimes emergency works by utility companies, such as a burst gas/ water pipe or electrical failure, coincide with the Council’s scheduled work which will cause increased congestion but repairs of this kind are essential, so residents don’t go without water, gas or electricity."
A spokesperson for GMFRS said: “Our crews work closely with partners across the city-region to ensure we can always be responsive to local developments.
"This includes being notified in advance of road closures and diversions, and when this happens firefighters identify alternative routes so that they can always respond to calls as quickly as possible and help keep communities safe.”
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