Residents living near junction 10 of the M6 have expressed deep frustration over ongoing congestion and environmental issues more than a year after a £78 million upgrade scheme was completed. The project, delivered by National Highways in March 2024, aimed to ease congestion and reduce journey times at one of the UK’s busiest motorway junctions. However, locals claim the improvements have fallen short, bringing traffic closer to homes and increasing noise and light pollution due to tree removal.
Loss of Wildlife and Green Cover
Alan Holland, a resident of Arnwood Close for 22 years, lamented the dramatic loss of wildlife following the works. He said: “The birds and the wildlife just disappeared. We had everything you could have imagined and it was amazing considering how close to junction 10 we are, but that’s all gone now.” He added that all the gantries now visible were once hidden by trees, which were removed without warning. “That really annoyed me, it was ridiculous that we had no warning,” he said. Holland has stopped putting out bird feeders due to the absence of wildlife, calling it “a real shame.”
Congestion Worsens Despite Investment
Holland also criticised the impact on congestion: “It was two lanes of standing traffic around an island and now it is four lanes of standing traffic around an island. It’s always been bad, but considering they spent £78 million on it they certainly haven’t improved things.” Similar concerns were raised by Alan Jones, who has lived near the junction for 12 years. He fumed at the four-lane system, which he believes confuses drivers. “Now we’ve got four lanes of idiots instead of two,” he said. “I do think work needed doing, but they could have done a better job of it. You get a lot more traffic coming down here now than we did before.”
Residents Feel Powerless
Jones questioned how much influence locals have over large infrastructure schemes. “We haven’t really got any influence as residents, have we? If something like this is going to be done we don’t have a chance. How am I going to stop it? There were five of us complaining but nothing came of it. There’s even more building work going on up the road now.”
National Highways Defends Upgrade
A National Highways spokesperson said: “The new bridges, replacing the 50-year-old original structures, have doubled the number of lanes around the junction from two to four. We also made improvements to some of the approach roads and there is now better accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians. Five huge gantries, which span all four lanes housing technology and signage, have been installed to help drivers navigate the junction more easily. These improvements were very much needed at junction 10 which had previously caused lengthy delays for motorists and hindered local businesses for a long time.” Despite these claims, residents remain unconvinced, pointing to newly planted saplings that may take years to provide any meaningful environmental benefit.
