News Beat
Three cars crashing into Bury home ‘down to idiots driving’
Ray Groundland, 59, has lived on Bass Lane in Summerseat for around six years with his wife Debbie.
On January 14, the couple were asleep at their home, which sits at the bottom of a hill by the Crag Lane junction, when they woke up to “a note pushed through the door” by police informing them that a car had crashed into a wall at the bottom of their driveway in the early hours of the morning.
Ray said this incident was the third crash at their house, with a Volkswagen Polo also crashing into their home at about 1.30am on December 19 last year.
He explained that in October 2024, a similar incident occurred when a black car ‘smashed’ into their driveway before the driver abandoned the vehicle.
The family’s frustrations have led to them getting “sick of it”, with Ray telling the Bury Times that solutions could include speed bumps, “better lighting”, or a one-way system incorporating nearby Rowlands Road.
The issue was discussed at Bury Council’s full council meeting on Thursday (January 21), when Cllr Alan Quinn, the cabinet member for transport, was quizzed about the actions the authority will take to combat issues on Bass Lane.
He said the highways team will go down and assess the road to investigate whether better lighting and improved road markings could be implemented.
However, he said there is “little we can do” about people driving like “idiots”, which he attributed as the cause of problems blighting Ray and his family.
Cllr Quinn said: “Regarding Bass Lane, we will get the highways team to go down because it’s already been in the news. We will send them down and look at improved road markings and improved lighting.
“But in all honesty, the road is safe. There have been two incidents, I think, in the last week, where a car ran into a house.
“In my experience of doing this job, it’s basically down to idiots driving.
“I went to Church Street in the Ainsworth area, and we put a system in, altered it twice, the residents were delighted – and this, again, was after a car ran into a wall just after a resident had taken his grandkids inside.
“We got the system the residents wanted, but within two weeks, two cars crashed, and one was on its roof due to speeding.
“There’s little we can do if people are driving like that. We will definitely look into it, as we’re obviously aware of [the issue], but the vast majority of these incidents involve bad drivers speeding.
“But we will look at improving the lighting, the road marking, and do whatever we can, because at the end of the day, we don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
The 20mph country road is used as a ‘cut through’ by many drivers heading to and from the M66 motorway, Summerseat, Holcombe, Ramsbottom and Walmersley.
Commenting on the most recent incident, resident Ray said drivers should “slow down” when travelling along Bass Lane.
He wants action to resolve the issues and said “something needs to be done”.
He told the Bury Times: “I can’t believe we didn’t hear this one as it was at the top of the drive. Our neighbours behind us heard all the commotion, though, and emergency services were here.
“It would be nice to find out the insurance details of the driver, though, as someone has to be accountable for the cost of the damage left behind.
“This is not the first time we’ve experienced something like this, and I really wish they [drivers] would slow down coming through Bass Lane.”
He added: “We love the area, but something needs to be done now. It’s not that there is much nightlife around here, so why are they even out and about at those times?
“It’s starting to wind us up and I’m getting sick of it. I’m not a fan of them, but maybe speed bumps and better lighting would help.”
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed that a car that crashed into a wall on Bass Lane on January 14, where a man suffered minor injuries and has since received a summons.
A spokesperson for Bury Council added: “We introduced a 20mph speed limit on Bass Lane in 2015, accompanied by a range of road safety measures including warning signs, dummy speed cushions and enhanced road markings.
“These interventions were designed to reduce vehicle speeds and improve overall safety for all road users.
“Following these recent incidents, our officers will carry out a further inspection of Bass Lane. If additional safety improvements are deemed necessary, we will seek to implement them where appropriate, subject to the availability of funding.
“This is a very narrow road, with passing places, and we would urge all drivers to take special care when using it.”
