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SALISBURY COUNCIL MOVES TO AVERT 'ANOTHER NEWBURY'
16 July 1996
Salisbury District Council - led by the Liberal Democrats - last night voted at a full Council meeting 35-17 in favour of a re-opening of the public inquiry into the controversial Salisbury bypass. Friends of the Earth,working with Stop Salisbury Bypass' - the local Alliance against the road scheme - welcomed the decision, which could have far-reaching implications for the future of bypasses.
The vote will be widely seen as a move by the Liberal Democrats to reassert their credentials as the party promoting planned and integrated transport policies. The Liberal Democrat Party is this week running a series of launches on the theme of Britains Economy into the 21st Century'.
Mr Rendel, Liberal Democrat MP for Newbury lobbied against the official review' of the road (started in December 1995), claiming that "Newbury needs its bypass and it needs it now" (House of Commons 31/1/95). The Government subsequently cut short the review, and gave the go ahead for the Newbury bypass without properly assessing alternatives.
Simon Festing of Friends of the Earth said:
"We welcome the decision by Salisbury District Council to reassess the bypass in the light of new evidence that road building generates more traffic and is environmentally unacceptable".
Agenda Item 6 of last nights Council meeting stated:
"That this Council calls upon the joint Secretaries of State to reopen the Public Inquiry into the proposed A36 Salisbury bypass so that new information relating to the environmental impact of such a scheme may be considered; and furthermore
This Council resolves immediately to both seek and promote funding for individual traffic management and other alternative transport strategies(including relief roads), that will alleviate the problems currently experienced by those communities in Salisbury District that are on the route on the A36 trunk road".
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Sep 2008
