THE creation of 1,200 new jobs on the Wingates industrial estate is good news.
But this site has very poor accessibility for pedestrians leaving the nearby Westhoughton railway station and the adjacent bus stops on Church Street.
There is a very narrow road into the estate called Long Lane, which lacks pavements. Walkers are intimidated by fast moving vehicles, and are forced to step back into the undergrowth to avoid a collision.
A potentially useful footpath off Wesley Court over the railway footbridge leads into an ankle-deep quagmire. Another footpath further west is a longish detour through a complex area of modern housing. Cyclists would also avoid these paths.
Both these paths date back to when the area was farmland, and have never been upgraded to suit the new circumstances.
Otherwise, pedestrians must enter the site from the A6 near the main entrance about a mile from the station.
As it now stands, getting on to the estate must be very unpleasant for certain employees - especially during the wet, dark winter months.
If more people are to access this expanding site, the landlords and authorities should improve on these poor communications.
E Coucill, Farnworth
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