Since the break up of the Regional structures the responsibility for promoting local road proposals and other transport schemes in the region rests entirely with the local authorities or CENTRO, although Local Enterprise Partnerships may well lend weight to proposals/
However, spending cuts mean many new proposals have been put on hold. Three schemes have caused CPRE particular concern.
The Shrewsbury North West Relief Road: The proposed by-pass would have irrevocably damaged important landscapes and wildlife habitats along the old riverbed of the Severn. A high bridge over the river would also have had a serious impact on the landscape of the Severn, including loss of tranquillity. It could have lead to further development, including housing on the periphery of the town. Following determined opposition Shropshire Council appears to have put it on hold. CPRE never believed the level of congestion in the town merits the road. We now want to see alternative approaches which support more sustainable transport modes in and around the town. Contact Shropshire CPRE for more information about how we are opposing this proposal.
Hereford Outer Distributor Road: There has been a long debate about a bypass around Hereford. All the potential options involve areas of high landscape value and are likely to generate traffic increasing carbon emissions. A route to the East could have the added complication that it would impact on designated sites over the Lugg Meadows, where a previous proposal was stopped at Public Inquiry because of the landscape and ecological impacts. But a route to the west, now preferred, would also have environmental impacts over a wide area. With public funding limited the Council has been looking at development funding and proposals in early versions of its Core Strategy included significant housing along the route. Plans to progress the road were delayed up to the Local Elections (May 2011) but may re-emerge as the Core Strategy progresses. You can find out more by contacting Herefordshire CPRE.
Brinsford Park and Ride: The Brinsford site would be located in a sensitive area of the Green Belt in South Staffordshire. It is not close to the M6, which would on the face of it appear to be an important consideration.
More broadly CPRE has questioned the benefit of large Park and Ride sites in the Green Belt. We believe more emphasis needs to be placed on increasing parking at local stations where people are likely to travel less by car and the negative by products of large Strategic Park and Ride sites are less evident.
These include bypassing local stations to get to larger Park and Rides, replacing complete public transport journeys with journeys by car and public transport and transferring traffic congestion from urban areas to roads around Strategic Park and Ride sites.
As yet, there has been little comprehensive work to test the overall impact of all these factors to show whether Strategic Park and Ride or this site in particular would be beneficial overall and this should be done before it is included in any programme. To find out more about our objection to Brinsford Park and Ride contact
Staffordshire CPRE.
13.07.11
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