Discussion on Papers 26–28

MR READ, Paper 27

1. Manchester was the first industrial city and seems similarly, and perhaps not unexpectedly, to be at the top of the league for sewer collapses, a dubious honour!

2. Recently, the frequent collapse of the Victorian sewerage system still in use under the city centre has achieved national coverage in the media. The problem is particularly acute, for since 1975 over 50 sewer subsidences have occurred in the city centre. It is unquestionable, notwithstanding the efforts made to minimize the effects, that such collapses have had an extremely serious effect on the day-to-day life of the business and commercial centre of Manchester. Diversions overlap and signposting them becomes a major problem. The constant disruption and diversion of traffic can produce a lack of faith in the commercial well being of a city and a lack of willingness to invest in the future unless it can be clearly seen that the apparent inevitable disruption is being dealt with both vigorously and positively. This has been the aim of the City Council but, within the level of expenditure currently available, they have come to the conclusion that they are fighting a losing battle - the infrastructure concerned is deteriorating faster than the remedial works can be carried out. There has hardly been a day in the past two years where access to the city centre has not been impeded by one or two major sewer collapses, including the related remedial or replacement works, all at a time when the City Council is endeavouring to stimulate the regeneration of industry and commerce coupled with the emphasis on inner city revitaliz-ation.