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'birmingham toll road is highway robbery' says middle england
7 July 1998
The letter (copies available) will outline why the Government should scrap the BNRR:
. Massive damage will be caused to the green belt and precious wildlife sites;
. It won't significantly reduce traffic levels on any West Midland motorway; indeed traffic problems are likely to worsen on the M6 north of the West Midlands;
. There are fears about the secret agreement between the Government and the toll company. It was recently discovered that taxpayers will part-subsidise the project;
. There is also concern that the BNRR may not be profitable - as has happened to other toll roads - and that the taxpayer may end up footing the bill;
. There are concerns that the toll company - Midlands Expressway Ltd - were awarded the contract despite a consultants report for the Government condemning its traffic predictions as giving “little confidence”.
Charles Bradshaw-Smith, Chairman of the Alliance said: “People in the Midlands are at the sharp end of this dangerous experiment with private motorways. Investors have a choice, Mr Prescott has a choice, but we appear to have none. The one choice we had was to vote for a party who promised us they wouldn't build this destructive road. They should fulfill that promise rather than betray us.”
Gerald Kells of West Midlands FOE said: “The BNRR would be an environmental disaster which would do nothing to improve transport in the West Midlands, except take money from motorists, business and taxpayers. Mr Prescott must act now to stop this Highway Robbery.”
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2008
