09.06.05: LINK ROAD GETS THE YELLOW CARD
Local people are demanding that Lancashire County Council halt plans to build the Heysham M6 Link road, by looking at alternatives.
At the County Council’s recent exhibitions Transport Solutions for Lancaster and Morecambe invited the public to fill in their yellow voting cards on the various options. Only 10% said that the County Council should build a Link road. 53% wanted to see it compared to alternatives before a decision is made. 29% wanted the County Council to look at alternatives and drop the road idea altogether. 8% thought nothing should be done.
“It’s clear that the public have not given a mandate to build this road, nor are they getting a real choice from the County Council,” said Alistair Kirkbride, a member of TSLM. “We spoke to hundreds of people at the County Council exhibitions and at TSLM’s own alternative event. The vast majority are very concerned about the plans for the road. They want to see serious alternatives to tackle the area’s transport problems. And to top it all, the Secretary of State for Transport is now saying he wants to beat congestion with road-user charges. If the Government believes this is the answer, why is Lancashire County Council persisting with its plan to build this hugely expensive and inefficient road which will destroy our countryside?”
In the light of public demand and the position of the Department of Transport, TSLM demands that Lancashire County Council puts forward alternative plans to the Heysham M6 Link road. They believe that the public deserve a voice and a real choice in this important local decision.
“The Government wants to reduce traffic on our roads, but building a new Link road would have the opposite effect,” said Mr Kirkbride. “Council Tax payers should seriously ask when our money will be spent on transport solutions that local residents can actually benefit from.”