Hello Supporter,

In this month’s issue we have updates on some critical roads schemes, decision day looms for the M4 in Wales, plus news from the Transport Select Committee where we shared our fix-it-first message.
 
Bridget & Chris

Last week our Chief Executive gave evidence to the Transport Select Committee inquiry on local roads funding and governance. He told MPs that the Government needs to adopt a fix-it-first policy when it comes to road spending; rather than spending billions on new roads, whilst the local roads people use the most are neglected. The inquiry is ongoing with a report on the findings due out in 2019.

D-day is looming for the proposed M4 with a Welsh Assembly decision due in the next two weeks. The Guardian newspaper reported on the damage the road will cause to the local environment, an area as rich is biodiversity as the Amazon Rainforest. We’ve been supporting the Calm campaign against the road and the Wildlife Trusts’s call for people to write to the First Minister of Wales to voice their objection. If you are in or near Cardiff, please join campaigners demonstrating outside the Senedd on 4 December and ask your Assembly Member to oppose the plans. There’s also still time to sign the petition against the road.
 

We welcomed the Government’s response to its call for evidence on walking and cycling safety. More than 14,000 people took part in the consultation and their top suggestion was investment in safe infrastructure. The Government has committed to prioritise walking and cycling, and insisted that local government and other decision makers do the same. You can read our full response on our website.
 

Congratulations to Sudbury campaigners who have seen off damaging bypass plans that would have destroyed the town’s water meadows. Suffolk County Council has announced it will not be taking forward the bypass due to the cost being “prohibitively high resulting in a low benefit cost ratio”. It will instead look at a programme to upgrade busy road junctions in the market town to ease traffic congestion. Campaigners are now calling for the town to become “a beacon for walking and cycling and public transport” instead.

The High Court has rejected Sefton County Council’s legal challenge to the proposed A5036 Port of Liverpool access road. The judge ruled that HE was not required to present a tunnel option to the public as part of its consultation on proposed solutions to address the Port of Liverpool’s expansion. Whilst this judgement means that Sefton County Council’s legal challenge to the proposed scheme is all but over, the council has stated it will continue to publicly oppose the scheme. Meanwhile, the Save the Rimrose Valley campaign has launched its own consultation with four options for people to choose from. The results of the consultation will be shared with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and Highways England.
 

HE has agreed to run a new consultation next year into options for the A27 Arundel bypass after it said ‘important new information’ about each of the options had become available. As a result of this, the legal challenges being brought by South Downs National Park Authority and environmental campaigner Emma Tristram have been withdrawn, with HE agreeing to pay the legal fees for both cases. Whilst a new consultation is welcome, all the current options up for consideration will still significantly impact upon the National Park or ancient woodland.