Residents of a street described as the "prettiest little road in Altrincham" have expressed outrage after council workers suddenly began removing historic gas-lamp-style street lights that date back to the 1860s.
They say that council cherry-pickers arrived without notice on Friday and removed all historic lanterns from the top of the lamps, which have been a distinctive feature of the street since 1867.
Other streets affected by the move include The Narrows and Bowdon Road.
Carol Eastwood, who has lived on Lyme Grove since 1962, described returning home to find council vans already at work. "We'd been out on Friday morning and came back around lunchtime to find one of the council vans parked outside the house. He said they were taking away the gas lamps, and my husband saw them stripping out all the wiring as well."
She now fears that the historic landmarks will now be replaced by "horrible silver posts", as has already happened on Bowdon Road.
The sudden removal appears to contradict Trafford Council's own Conservation Area Management Plan for The Downs, which specifically identifies Lyme Grove's "traditional gas-lamp-style lamp posts" as "appropriate for the historic setting" and states they are considered part of the distinctive character of the area.
Resident Peter Akid called the removal "an act of vandalism", while Ann Mattocks described it as a "desecration of the prettiest little road in Altrincham".
"Lyme Grove is one of the last authentic Victorian roads in Altrincham, carefully maintained by the residents and rigorously controlled by Trafford's building regulations so that original features such as windows, doors and frontages are tightly controlled to maintain the ideals of the conservation area," said Mattocks.
Residents received a letter from One Trafford, a collaboration between Trafford Council and contractor Amey, stating that: "As well as installing new lighting in the borough, we need to make sure that existing street lighting columns continue to be safe to eliminate any risk to the public.
"Following a recent survey of lighting columns, we have identified that one or more older columns on your road needs to be removed and replaced."
The letter warned that "street lights which are not LED which will be removed may not be replaced like-for-like."
A spokesperson for One Trafford added to Altrincham Today: "Following recent structural inspections, a number of older streetlights in the area have been identified as no longer safe.
"To protect public safety, we are removing these columns. We are working to replace these lighting columns with new, safe alternatives. Works are scheduled based on a risk-prioritised programme. Residents will be kept informed as further details become available.
"Public safety remains our top priority, and the removal work is being carried out carefully and responsibly."
However, Trafford Council's own Street Lighting Strategy, adopted in December 2014, recognises "the specific requirements of Conservation Areas" and was amended following public consultation to acknowledge "the need for appropriately designed and located street lighting in these areas."
Dan Jerrome, Green Party councillor for Altrincham, backed the residents.
He said: "We share the same concerns as the residents of Lyme Grove. Any new lamps should be in keeping with the surrounding heritage. This area forms one of the most historic parts of Altrincham and these lamps are an important part of this."
"For the Council just to remove the lamps without prior notification to residents, or councillors, isn't what they should be doing," he added, calling for the council to "pause what it is doing and make sure it is speaking to local people rather than pushing through the easiest solution."
The streets affected include The Narrows, Lyme Grove, and Bowdon Road, all part of The Downs Conservation Area.
According to local residents, around 30-40 years ago, the residents of Lyme Grove - which is an 'unadopted' road - paid for the road to be relaid, and at that time the council converted the original gas lights to electric while maintaining their historic appearance.
John Keen, a resident of the street for two years, summed up many locals' feelings: "On the one hand you could say it's first world problems, but on the other hand it's an intrinsic part of the environment, and doing this downgrades the environment."
