Archived press release

Labour Must Justify its Claim of No More Twyford Downs

2 October 1996

Friends of the Earth challenged Mr Smith to give substance to his rhetoric by pledging Labour to scrap the A36 Salisbury bypass [2] and the following damaging road schemes:

* M4 Relief Road in South Wales
* A5 Dunstable bypass in Bedfordshire
* the Birmingham Northern Relief Road
* A49/A465 Hereford bypass
* A650 Bingley Relief Road
* A30 Honiton-Exeter
* the South Coast Route - including the Hastings and Worthing bypasses [3].

Simon Festing, Transport Campaigner of Friends of the Earth said:

"We warmly welcome Mr Smith's commitment to protect the countryside from further 'Twyford Downs'. We look forward to working with him to identify road projects that would be scrapped by an incoming Labour Government".

Friends of the Earth is concerned however that Mr Smith failed to pledge Labour to any targets for the control of run away traffic growth or to support the Road Traffic Reduction Bill which has been backed by approximately 150 Labour MPs [4].

Simon Festing continued:

"The acid test of Labour's commitment to a sustainable transport policy is its position on traffic growth. If it won't make specific commitments to cut traffic levels, how can we sure it will control congestion, pollution and damage to the countryside?"

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] Labour Transport spokesman Andrew Smith made his pledge in a speech to the Labour Party conference this morning. Twyford Down was a hill of enormous landscape significance to the east of Winchester (Hants) that what ripped apart to make way for the M3 motorway. Nearby ecological areas were also bulldozed.

[2] The Daily Telegraph reported (1/10/96) that the Government is about to give the go- ahead for the A36 Salisbury bypass. The road threatens 2 Sites of special Scientific Interest (SSSI's) for nature and historic views of Salisbury Cathedral.

[3] Further details on the damage to be caused by the construction of each of these road projects (and many others) can be obtained from Friends of the Earth.

[4] The Road Traffic Reduction Bill, would, if passed:

. require the Secretary of State for Transport to draw up a "National Road Traffic Reduction Plan" to achieve a 5% reduction in road traffic miles by 2005, and 10% by 2010.
. ensure the Plan is reported to and debated by Parliament annually.
. require Local Authorities to draw up local Road traffic Reduction Plans authorising measures they consider appropriate to curtail traffic in their area
. enable parish and town councils to draw up road traffic reduction plans if they so choose.

It is supported by over 180 MPs (including 150 Labour MPs), the Liberal Democrats,Plaid Cymru Parliamentary Party and the Green Party. Friends of the Earth and the Green Party which are jointly promoting the Bill hope to introduce it into Parliament this autumn.

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