I note with despair the recent report indicating that funding may be made available to complete the white elephant which is the Western Relief Road. Whilst this project might have been a realistic option a generation ago when it was proposed, it would now be a travesty to impose the burden of thousands of heavy goods movements daily and the certainty of a vast increase in other traffic immediately adjacent to the homes of hundreds of local residents.  If this were to go ahead where do you plan to put the protection of high earth banks and tens of thousand of trees which shield the golf club and residents along the section of road from the motorway? I object to this not only because of the environmental impact on residents but also on the grounds of health and safety of children and families living along the route.

Access to the millennium park is already a matter of high risk when crossing the existing road where motorists blatantly exceed the speed limits and overtake recklessly when other drivers do try to adhere to the limits. With the imposition of many thousands of daily HGV movements along the road there is sure to be an increase in this recklessness and a consequent diversion of high levels of traffic through Greenacres and other residential roads as drivers seek 'rat-runs' to escape congestion.

 How many deaths will it take before common sense prevails?

 Graham Beck

Dear Mr Beck

Thank you for your e-mail about this, perhaps prompted by recent press coverage.  In case you are not aware it may be worth just reflecting on the history behind this scheme. As a result of development on the west side of Lutterworth three sections of road around the town have been built, to the north, to the south and a section in the middle. Sections to the north and south were built in recent years and were known at the time as Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Western Relief Road. The older section in the middle is closer to housing and was not built to the same standards. Phase 3, the completion of the Relief Road, would provide this missing middle section which is primarily to take lorries out of the town centre on the A426 (which is an air quality management area). In our recently completed Local Transport Plan we’ve said the completion of the Western Relief Road may be justified in the longer term (along with a number of other bypass schemes) and we would undertake preliminary investigations.

A project steering group has been set up by Harborough District Council to develop “a vision and master plan for the regeneration of Lutterworth Town Centre”.  This offered up a number of alternative solutions to the traffic problems including the completion of the Relief Road and a new junction on M1.  The Highways Agency, who are responsible for the motorway, have a policy against the provision of extra motorway junctions in circumstances like these.  Ideas have been consulted on earlier this year with a report expected shortly, this is likely to say traffic is a real problem for the town centre. Harborough District Council have said, in responding to consultation on the Local Transport Plan, that the completion of the Western Relief Road should be a high priority. As the Western Relief Road was included in our LTP’s list of future bypasses beyond 2011, it was also identified as a potential future major scheme in a regional review of such schemes carried out by the East Midlands Regional Assembly. In response to this, the Government has included the Lutterworth Western Relief Road in the indicative list of schemes from 2009/10 to 2015/16 which do not yet have approval.  It is this announcement which has led to the recent press publicity.

I am aware there are mixed views about this scheme, with on the one hand the desire to take the lorries out of the town centre and on the other the concerns of people who would be affected by a new Relief Road.

We are not carrying out any work on this scheme as yet, and its future progress will depend on the availability of funds and, critically, on achieving a reasonable local consensus on the matter.

I hope this explains the stage we are at and reassures you that despite the press article nothing has been decided as to whether this scheme will be built or not..

 S J Holden

Assistant Director, Transportation

Dear Mr Holden

 Thank you for your reply which sets out the position quite clearly, i.e. that the preferred option is to respond to 'the desire to take the lorries out of the town centre', which unfortunately means sending those same lorries, one every 30 seconds day and night, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year, past the ends of the gardens of hundreds of residents. The effect on house prices will be catastrophic and I have already outlined my concerns about the health and safety of residents. I am well aware of the history of this road but what seems to have escaped the notice of planners is the extent of housing development which has taken place in the intervening 20 years. 

You indicate that the vision and master plan for the regeneration of Lutterworth Town Centre offered up a number of alternative solutions to the traffic problems including the completion of the Relief Road, but I was under the distinct impression that this was outside of the remit of that group in any case. I do not therefore understand why this should be a consideration in the debate. You suggest that the a forthcoming report is likely to say traffic is a real problem for the town centre. Your solution is to foist the identical problem on residential areas. Sheer genius.

 Graham Beck

Dear Mr Beck

 I fear my previous e-mail was not clearly enough expressed.  We are a long way from any decision on this scheme.  We do have a serious problem of air pollution in the town centre which is largely caused by HGVs and the planned solution was always to complete the Relief Road and divert traffic onto that.  However, as you note, the situation has changed since the original plans were made and there must be a question as to whether this remains the correct solution.

 There will be no early progress on this scheme.  When we do look again at the problem you can be assured that all possible options will be fully explored, and full public consultation carried out, before we take any decision.

 James Holden

Mr Holden

Thank you for this clarification. As you say there is a serious problem of air pollution in the town centre and I doubt there are many who would argue against a resolution of this situation. You will appreciate though that there is considerable anxiety that these poisonous exhaust fumes will be simply transferred to another inappropriate location with potentially more devastating effects on the health and safety of local residents.

 Graham Beck

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