Nostalgia: Victory in sight for Hyde residents after 10-year campaign

In 1994, victory was finally in sight for Hyde residents who had waged a ten-year campaign to restrict the number of lorries using Henry Street and Higher Henry Street as a short cut to Market Street. 

If the green light was given, barriers would go up allowing only cars and light vans.

The rat run was one of several traffic problems in the town reported in the North Cheshire Herald in December 1994.

People were also complaining that sometimes it took up to ten minutes to cross the road at the top end of Market Street. 

There were fears that schoolchildren were risking their lives trying to dodge the traffic. 

Council engineers would look at options to make the road safer to cross after carrying out a survey to count the numbers of vehicles and pedestrians during the morning and evening rush hour and off-peak times. 

Traffic calming measures to stop short cuts around Grange Road North and Walker Lane had also been demanded.

Meanwhile councillors agreed to spend £24,000 on traffic calming measures in and around Scott Road, Droylsden.

The area had been a traffic black spot for years and residents had long campaigned for improvements.

Bollards, pedestrian islands and sleeping policemen would soon be in place to slow down traffic that passed through the estate near three schools.