HEALTH watchdogs are stepping up their campaign for a new road to improve access to the borough's Millennium hospital.

Bury Community Health Council (CHC) has expressed concerns about the limited access routes to the site at Fairfield Hospital on Rochdale Old Road.

And now they are calling for council backing to help them bid for government money.

The health watchdogs are fighting for another access route to be built to the hospital from the A58 above Heap Bridge, creating a direct link to the M66.

A recent study carried out by independent consulting engineers on behalf of Bury Health Care NHS Trust, responsible for running local hospitals, found that Rochdale Old Road would be able to cope with the increased Traffic if certain measures were introduced.

Their study was also reviewed by the council's own experts who concurred with the findings.

Council engineers agreed that the road could cope with the access as long as traffic signals were put up, a puffin crossing was installed outside Fairfield CP School and a Green Transport Traffic plan drawn up. A council spokesman said: "The independent study carried out by the Trust found that the access on Rochdale Old Road could be maintained on the proviso of certain measures.

"Our experts agreed with the professional opinion of the independent reviewers that access was adequate and safe with the new measures in place."

Bury CHC are not convinced by the assessment and are asking statutory and voluntary groups in Bury to back their campaign.

Mr Gerry Mills, CHC chairman, said: "Bury CHC recognised this problem ten years ago.

"It appeared that all the statutory agencies in Bury supported the principle of a second access to Fairfield General Hospital.

"Now it appears that Bury Council's Transport Committee does not feel the access is necessary."

He added: "We do not believe that the traffic impact study has taken into account that there is no alternative route into the hospital."

Currently access to the hospital is available from two sections of the road.

Mr Frank Blackburn, director of estates for Bury Health Care NHS Trust, explained that if the road was blocked, alternative access was available by going through side doors or around the hospital through Heywood.

He agreed that a new road would make a difference but said the cost was too high for the trust to do it alone.

Mr Paul Reynolds, CHC chief officer, said: "Bury is shooting itself in the foot.

"We have a new hospital taking us into the 21st century and now we have to have the new road. It could save lives."

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