18th December 2025

By any ordinary measure, The Tang was a serviceable residential road seen going off to the left on the above image. Residents say it was not crumbling, not unsafe, and not in urgent need of full reconstruction. What it did have, they argue, was a traffic issue — one that could have been resolved by installing a simple bollard or post to prevent through‑traffic.

Instead, The Tang became the subject of a highways‑standard resurfacing scheme, followed by disruption, a burst water main, and a final bill that residents now estimate at around £100,000 or more.

This investigation asks a simple question: how did a modest local concern escalate into a five‑ or six‑figure public works project?

From neighbour’s request to major works

According to residents present at the meeting, the issue was raised when a neighbour of Councillor Clark asked for action at an Area Committee meeting. The request related to traffic using The Tang.

Residents say that following this request, Councillor Clark pursued intervention on the road. No allegation of wrongdoing is made, but the sequence of events has prompted questions about proportionality, scrutiny, and value for money — particularly when the original problem was narrow in scope.

Several residents told the Romiley Gazette that no meaningful consultation took place on lower‑cost alternatives, such as:

  • A single fixed post or bollard
  • A removable barrier
  • Signage or enforcement measures

What was actually done

Rather than a targeted traffic measure, The Tang underwent:

  • Full carriageway resurfacing to highways standards
  • Associated preparatory and reinstatement works
  • Follow‑on repairs after a burst water main occurred during construction

While infrastructure failures can happen, the burst led to delays and further excavation, increasing disruption and cost.

Counting the cost

Based on typical UK residential highways pricing and the size of The Tang, independent estimates suggest:

  • Highways‑standard resurfacing: ~£95,000–£115,000
  • Additional costs linked to the burst water main: ~£8,000–£15,000

That places the overall project cost in the region of £100,000–£130,000.

By contrast, residents point out that:

  • A single bollard or post could have cost a few hundred pounds, or at most a few thousand if traffic orders were required.

The disparity between the scale of the original issue and the scale of public spending is at the heart of residents’ concerns.

Pork barrel politics — or procedural failure?

The term pork barrel politics describes public spending that delivers visible local benefit at disproportionate cost, often following pressure from a small number of individuals.

Residents questioning the works on The Tang say the label is uncomfortable but relevant. They stress that the issue is not resurfacing itself, but the absence of a clear explanation as to:

  • Why cheaper options were rejected
  • Who approved the final scope of works
  • Whether officers challenged the necessity of full resurfacing
  • Whether the decision would have been the same without a direct request from a councillor’s neighbour

What residents want now

Those affected are calling for:

  • A full cost breakdown of the project
  • Disclosure of options considered and rejected
  • Confirmation of who signed off the works
  • Assurance that future schemes will be proportionate and evidence‑led

At a time when councils face severe financial pressure, residents argue that £100,000 spent unnecessarily on one short road is £100,000 not spent elsewhere.

The resurfacing of The Tang may yet prove to be a textbook example — either of prudent public safety investment, or of how a minor request can snowball into major expenditure.

As one resident put it, “It feels like money is being poured into the nicest streets, while other areas with much more urgent needs continue to wait.”

There is still no bollard and the new surface means the road is even more attractive to rat-runners.

The Tang (in the SK6 postcode in Romiley) has not been formally included as a section of road or path to be tarmacked as part of the main Romiley travel-plan roadworks or the Active Travel Fund improvements:

The Romiley Gazette has invited Stockport Council and Councillor Clark to respond to the points raised.