CALLS have been made to complete Worcester’s controversial ring road.
After St Peter’s Parish Council unanimously backed a notice of motion sent to Worcestershire County Council urging the completion of a north west section of the ring road, the city’s MP Mike Foster said that 81 per cent of 1,200 people who responded to his transport questionnaire were also in favour of the idea along with a new river crossing.
“The county council has now got to take note of this finding and quickly change their plans,” he said. “Not only do local residents want to see the ring-road completed, so do several local businesses too.”
Mr Foster’s survey also revealed general support for more park-and-ride sites, but there was big opposition to congestion charging in the city.
Terry Sims, spokesman of Claines Action Group which opposes the plans, said if the ring road is completed it just opens the door for thousands of homes to be built.
“I think people think it will make streets free of traffic but that’s not true, all it does is generate more traffic,” he said.
We previously reported in your Worcester News how the county council has already lodged a £187 million bid for transport improvements up to 2016.
The dualling of the southern link road, from Powick roundabout to Whittington, and building a new bridge over the river Severn running from Tybridge Street to Castle Street have been included, but the north-west bypass, from Dines Green to Claines, has not.
St Peter’s Parish Council described as “sheer folly” the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy planners decision not to include an orbital link in the preferred options paper.
Councillor Roger Knight said he thought the southern link road would “explode” if there was not an orbital route as the city expects at least 10,500 new homes in the next two decades.
“What city of 100,000 plus people do you know of without a ring road?” he asked.
Cabinet member responsible for roads Derek Prodger said Government officers advised county council planners against bidding for money for the ring road over fears it would “gridlock” the M5’s junction 6 as it already takes 64,000 traffic movements every day, 22,000 more than junction 7.
“But I still personally believe the way to relieve the pressure is with highways infrastructure,” he said. “I would consider a northern link.”
Coun Prodger said that dualling the A4440 southern link road was part of a staged approach which could lead to the ring road’s completion, but added doing it in sections would be more palatable and economical.
He said he would support the construction of a new motorway junction between Sixways and junction 5, at Wychbold.
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