A595 consultation begins

There was some speculation in the local press last week about whether the government is still considering a Whitehaven Relief Road.

Well, they're about to carry out a public consultation on the proposal to build one.

Highways England is meeting councillors and elected representatives tomorrow to brief us on the consultation.

The secretary of state for transport, Chris Grayling, is also in Copeland tomorrow and I hope to get the chance to discuss it with him.

This is the text of a letter from me on the subject which the Whitehaven News were kind enough to publish yesterday.


Dear Sir,

I read with interest your front page story (Whitehaven News, 24th October) concerning the proposed Whitehaven Relief Road. 

As I have previously written, the problems with the A595 are probably the biggest single factor holding back economic development and residents’ quality of life in West Cumbria and can sometimes be a matter of life or death when they affect access to our hospitals. 

I have continued to raise questions about the A595 on every single occasion when the full Cumbria County Council has met since my election to that body and still intend to continue doing so as long as I can catch the chair’s eye. 

Whichever party is in office It is wise not to take for granted that any major government project is definitely going to happen until the shovels hit the ground, and sometimes not even then. Nevertheless, Highways England is still due to meet councillors this week to brief us on the consultation they are about to hold about the proposed Whitehaven major road initiative/relief road. That consultation will take place over the next few weeks. 

Your readers can take to the bank that the more residents of West Cumbria take part in the impending consultation and tell Highways England that they want the government to invest in a Whitehaven Relief road, the more likely it is to happen. 

Obviously this is also a great opportunity for residents to express any relevant concerns that they might have, and in my humble opinion that could certainly include the condition of the A595 at Moresby Embankment north of Whitehaven, and the need to ensure that the measures required to deal with that stretch of road and the Whitehaven Relief road are dealt with in a timely fashion and that neither project prejudices the other. 

Whatever their views I would strongly urge your readers to take part in the consultation. 

Yours sincerely,

Chris Whiteside, 
Conservative County Councillor for Egremont North and St Bees

Comments

Anonymous said…
Daniel Defoe complained about the roads in Cumberland when he visited, little has changed.
8:21 pm
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