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Darling's Concrete Plans: New Road Schemes Threatened
9 July 2003
Friends of the Earth today attacked Government plans for widespread road building as "the world's most expensive sticking plaster."
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling has dropped some of the worst schemes proposed by the Government-commissioned "multi-modal studies", such as the Arundel by pass, which would have cut through ancient woodland and water meadows, as well as bypasses round Wolverhampton and Stourbridge. But other destructive schemes got Government backing, including widening on the M1, M11, M25 and M62, which could damage several nationally designated wildlife sites. A return to the controversial Hastings by-pass plans is also threatened, with Mr Darling inviting East Sussex Council to make further proposals on the Bexhill-Hastings link road.
Meanwhile, Mr Darling has announced further discussions and feasibility studies on road charging. But such schemes appear to be at least ten years from being introduced, during which Britain's congestion and pollution problems can only get worse.
Friends of the Earth Transport Campaigner Tony Bosworth commented:
"This announcement is just a giant, expensive and futile sticking plaster applied to the running sore that is Britain's transport crisis. Of course we are pleased that some of the worst proposed schemes have been dropped. The wildlife and countryside around Arundel is a little safer today than it was yesterday. But other damaging road schemes remain.
The Government is still entranced by the idea that road building can solve Britain's transport crisis. But as has been proved time and again, it can't and it won't. More roads mean more cars, more pollution and more congestion. We haven't got ten years to wait for road charging to begin. We need better public transport and more help for pedestrians and cyclists today."
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jun 2008
