21st June 2007: Council dumps the Northern route!

TSLM is pleased to tell you that Lancaster City Council has voted NO to the Northern route. They join a long list of individuals and organisations who firmly believe that the destructive and underperforming £156 million road is not the answer to our district’s congestion problems.

Lancaster City Council has withdrawn its support for the Northern route and will not speak for it at the forthcoming public inquiry. The City Council believe that it is imperative that a comprehensive package of alternative measures to deal with congestion problems is identified and implemented as a matter of urgency.

This leaves Lancashire County Council in Preston isolated in its promotion of the scheme.

"We are glad that Lancaster City Council has caught up with the views of the people in the district,” said David Gate, chair of Transport Solutions for Lancaster and Morecambe (TSLM), who have been working hard to point out the failings of the scheme. “They now realize that it would divide and destroy neighbourhoods, would only bring more traffic and pollution, and would not solve our in town congestion nightmare.

"This move will have a dramatic effect on plans for the scheme and the Government’s decision on funding. But the battle is not yet won: Lancashire County Council have the power and resources to fight on alone. However, with 90% public opinion against the road, our MP, the Road Haulage Association and now the City Council all opposed to the Northern route, it now seems perverse of the County Council to waste more taxpayers' money and expert resources on defending a plan which has been exposed as an unwanted failure.

“We should all now sit down and produce an integrated transport solution for the benefit of the district as a whole.”

We urge you to play your part in finishing off this plan once and for all: please write to the press, the Department for Transport and your MP to let your views be known. Please keep your donations rolling in, we are working very hard and together we will stop the monster road!

David Gate

The full motion, which was passed by 25 to 23 with 5 abstentions, reads:

"This Council confirms that this District needs an M6 link, but is opposed to the Northern route. The City Council feels that it is imperative that a comprehensive alternative package of measures to deal with the District's traffic problems needs to be identified and implemented as a matter of urgency.

The Chief Executive should therefore take the following action:

1. Write to all relevant Government bodies and agencies informing them of the City Council's decision.

2. Inform the Programme Officer at the Public Inquiry into Northern Bypass (The Heysham M6 link) that Lancaster City Council will not be appearing in person and will not be submitting any written evidence."

Explanation: this motion was arrived at after several amendments, including this District needs an M6 link, forced in by supporters of the Northern Route in an unsuccessful attempt to stop a vote on it.