Civic Trust Presses Council Over “Dangerous” Missing Road Markings on Church Street
The group says the lack of white lining at the Church Street / Hare Hill Road junction, part of the A58, has created an ongoing safety hazard, with residents regularly reporting near‑misses and confusion over priority.
In a new message sent on 14 May 2026, Civic Trust Chairman Ian Jackson expressed frustration that repeated attempts to raise the issue had been ignored.
“Several similar emails from us on the same subject have been sent to you since that date but not even the courtesy of a reply… Unbelievable!!”
— Ian Jackson, Littleborough Civic Trust
The email refers back to an earlier message sent on 16 July 2025, when the Trust first formally reported that “not a single trace of white road marking paint” remained at the junction.
The Civic Trust says it continues to receive reports of:
- Dangerous occurrences and near‑misses
- Drivers unsure of right‑of‑way
- Pedestrian safety concerns, especially at peak times
The group has encouraged residents to report incidents directly to the Council, hoping that volume of evidence will prompt action.
Church Street forms part of the A58, a major route running through the centre of Littleborough. The Trust argues that the absence of markings at such a key junction is unacceptable.
Their July 2025 email stated:
“Given the fact that… the situation [had been] reported previously, sadly, and dangerously, the Council’s Highways Dept. have obviously chosen to ignore the fact for some time.”
With no visible progress since then, the Trust is now publicly calling for an explanation and a clear timetable for repainting.
The Civic Trust is awaiting a response from Rochdale Highways and says it will continue pressing for urgent action.
Councillor Richard Jackson responded: "the Littleborough section of the A58 from Todmorden Road to Smithybridge Road is being repainted in the scheduled works this summer. The reason the specific junction [...] hadn’t been painted yet is because it is part of the larger works and rather than causing multiple sets of delays to do the work it was decided by highways that the whole section needs repainting [...] and that it should be done as one piece of work to minimise disruption to traffic on the A58."
Councillor Richard Jackson responded: "the Littleborough section of the A58 from Todmorden Road to Smithybridge Road is being repainted in the scheduled works this summer. The reason the specific junction [...] hadn’t been painted yet is because it is part of the larger works and rather than causing multiple sets of delays to do the work it was decided by highways that the whole section needs repainting [...] and that it should be done as one piece of work to minimise disruption to traffic on the A58."