Archived press release

East midlands road consultation

13 August 2002

A public consultation on plans to widen the A453 between the M1 and Nottingham [1] is a complete farce and makes a nonsense of government consultation guidelines, Friends of the Earth said today.

The deadline for responses to the consultation is Friday 23rd August, but copies of the 250 page report will not be sent out until next week, only days before the deadline.

The standard minimum period for consultations by government departments is 12 weeks. The consultation period on the A453 has been set by the East Midlands Regional Local Government Association (EMRLGA) which must make a recommendation about the outcome of the study to the Secretary of State for Transport [2].

Although its headline conclusions were announced in outline two months ago [3], the final report of the A453 study is weeks behind schedule. But the consultation period has not been extended and concerned residents and other groups will only have days to ensure that their views are heard.

According to government guidance [4] which “should … be regarded as binding on UK [Government] departments and their agencies” [5], “twelve weeks should be the standard minimum period for consultation”. The guidance adds that “consultation should never have to be shortened below an acceptable minimum for reasons of … convenience” and that “an otherwise adequate period may be less so if a substantial holiday period falls within it”.

Friends of the Earth’s Regional Campaigns Co-ordinator Callie Lister said:
“This is a complete farce. Having only days to comment on something as complex and important as the A453 study is totally unacceptable, especially at a time when many people will be on holiday. It also makes a nonsense of government guidelines. If the consultants can’t get their act together and publish the study report on time, then the consultation period must be extended.”

“People haven’t yet had the opportunity to give their comments on the final option chosen because the consultants only drew it up after the last consultation finished. Friends of the Earth has written to the Secretary of State for Transport asking him to introduce some sanity into the situation and set a reasonable consultation period to ensure that people have the opportunity to make their views known. Surely that’s a basic requirement of a proper democracy?”

Notes

1. The A453 study is one of over twenty multi-modal studies around the country. Its remit is to “develop a strategy and programme for implementing solutions to the transport problems in the A453 corridor from now until the year 2021”.
2. The deadline has been set to fit in with a meeting of EMRLGA on 26th September.
   
3. The headline conclusions of the study were announced on 29th May, but full details were not given. The conclusions were that the A453 should be made into a dual carriageway between M1 Junction 24 and Clifton. The A453 through Clifton to the Nottingham Ring Road is recommended to be widened to a single four lane road – effectively a dual carriageway by another name. The latter was chosen in preference to an eastern bypass of Clifton.
4. ‘Code of practice on written consultation’ published by the Cabinet Office.
   
5. Multi-modal studies are commissioned by Government Regional Offices.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust