Lets invest in infrastructure for walking, cycling and public transport
Read Cycleways' Response to the A46 Strategic Link Road consultation
Ian Litton and Rodney King, 25 Jan 2021, cycleways.org.uk
Green Party Policy
Green Party policy is to develop active travel and support public transport as a healthier, cleaner and lower carbon solution to our future transport needs. In the last year as a result of the Covid pandemic travel to work patterns have changed, with a big reduction in daily commuting. The likelihood is that increased working from home will continue when restrictions are lifted. Bicycle ownership, especially electric bikes suitable for commuting, has increased exponentially. And people have benefitted from the reduced noise and pollution resulting from the reduction of private motor vehicle traffic.
County Council is pushing ahead with massive new road schemes
Despite these changes Warwickshire County Council, supported by Coventry City Council and Warwick District Council, is pushing ahead with a number of massive new road schemes, costing many tens of millions, for the “benefit of motorists” according to the Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, Councillor Jeff Clarke (Conservative, Nuneaton East). The A46 link road would cut across between Kenilworth and Coventry, eating into the small remaining strip of green belt which has not already been destroyed by HS2, and ripping up more of the Diamond Wood, planted by the University of Warwick in 2012 to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The main justification for the new road was to improve access to the large new housing development at King’s Hill. However, according to the planning permission granted for King’s Hill “the modelling work undertaken has demonstrated that a level of development (i.e. 2,500 houses in the application) can be accommodated in the absence of a completed A46 link road.”
Climate Emergency - Lets think again
Taking note of the Climate Emergencies declared at all levels of local government, new central government policies on active travel, and the changes in travel patterns as a result of the pandemic, Warwick District Greens are calling on the County Council to reconsider plans for this unnecessary new road. Cllr James Kennedy (Green, Park Hill Kenilworth) proposed a motion at the District Council to this effect. The motion was seconded by Labour and passed unanimously at the Council meeting on Wednesday 24th February.
Warwick District Greens will continue to campaign
Roads and transport are a County Council responsibility, but Warwick District Greens need to continue to campaign through any means possible to stop the County Council building this “road to nowhere” and to press them instead to invest in infrastructure for walking, cycling and public transport.
