Two roads off Beech Road have retained their flagstones - Wilton Road and Cross Road both by the Recreation Ground. Not pavement or sidewalk - but the lumps of quarry and chisel work that hewed them. But elsewhere it's a different story.

Residents Angry as bid to save flagstones fails
by Alan Charnley.
South Manchester Express May 7 1999
Irate residents have flagged up surrender in their fight to save Victorian flagstones on pavements in a cul-de-sac. Conservationists living in the south Manchester suburb of Whalley Range were livid when Manchester City Council began ripping up the 100-year-old flagstones from one side of Athol Road. Because of their protest, the city council briefly suspended work while complaints were investigated. Residents were even more miffed when told by council workmen that the Yorkstone flagstone would eventually be relaid in more "fashionable" areas like Didsbury and Chorlton. "It was like rubbing salt in the wound,' said one. Now the council is continuing with work to re-surface pavements. Councillor Tony Burns, chairman of city highways, said: 'The condition of pavements in Athol Road gave cause of concern because they had been damaged by both wear and use by cars crossing to access the houses.  "The fund for repairing pavements is also the fund which pays out compensation for injuries as a result of people tripping over damaged pavements. 'Over the years pavements had been repaired so that in lots of cases the former Yorkstone had been replaced by the concrete flagstones and also by patches of rolled tar. 'The repairs in Athol Road, unfortunately, cannot he made by the replacing of Yorkstone as this would mean the entire length would have to be done this way and the cost would he prohibitive. 'Concrete paving stones are no longer used by the council except in small areas and not for full reconstruction of the foot- way.' Coun Burns told residents in a letter: 'Given that the city has been starved of funds over recent years and this is an attempt to make the best use of scarce resources I hope that you find this acceptable." Resident Richard Adamson said: "It seems that we have no redress against what is happening. "We have been told that the local councillors had agreed that the work went ahead because they believed it was what the residents wanted - but it wasn't."