The South Glos Post

From the office of Jack Lopresti MP

Jack Lopresti MP has asked the Secretary of State for Transport to remove the barriers to transport decisions being made locally. Jack asked the Secretary of State whether “whether he will review the previous administration’s Circular on Planning the Strategic Road Network so that infrastructure changes that are desperately needed can be decided locally?” in a written Parliamentary Question.

Jack asked the question after Campaigners suffered a setback in achieving their goal of a new junction on the M49 junction in Severnside.

The Highways Agency (HA) lodged its objection to a new M49 junction – a commitment set out in South Gloucestershire Council’s draft Core Strategy as a way of managing future development in the Severnside area.

In its response to the council’s recent Core Strategy consultation – which started in March before the change of government – the HA stated that a new junction would be against its policy, which is a presumption against new accesses to motorways.

But the policy – set out in ‘Department for Transport Circular 02/2007’ – was issued in 2007 by the previous Labour government.

Now that the new government has taken power, campaigners are calling for a review of that policy.

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Source: Jack Lopresti MP

Campaigners have suffered a setback in achieving their goal of a new M49 junction in Severnside.

The Highways Agency (HA) has lodged its objection to the new motorway junction – a commitment set out in South Gloucestershire Council’s draft Core Strategy as a way of managing future development in the Severnside area.

In its response to the council’s recent Core Strategy consultation – which started in March before the change of government – the HA stated that a new junction would be against its policy, which is a presumption against new accesses to motorways.

But the policy – set out in ‘Department for Transport Circular 02/2007’ – was issued in 2007 by the previous Labour government.

Now that the new government has taken power, campaigners are calling for a review of that policy.

(more…)

Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council

A new group is to be created to tackle the growing problem of traffic in the Severnside area.

Campaigners are to approach major local employers about joining the group in an effort to bring together business, the council and members of the wider community.

Efforts to set up the group are being led by the Council’s Deputy Leader Cllr Sheila Cook, newly-elected MP for the Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency, Jack Lopresti and local Pilning resident, Robert Griffin, in response to residents’ growing concerns about the impact of rapid development in the Severnside area.

Not only is the Western Approach Distribution Centre near Severn Beach expanding rapidly thanks to a 1957 planning consent, but the Avonmouth/Severnside area is fast becoming a centre for waste disposal. The waste company, Sita, has recently submitted a planning application for an ‘energy recovery centre’ within South Gloucestershire, which, if approved, would generate further traffic movements.

The ultimate goal of the group is to see a new junction built on the M49 motorway – potentially funded by the growth in business rates that is almost certain to result from ongoing development in the area.

The Council’s Core Strategy – which is currently out for consultation – reaffirms its commitment to pushing for a new M49 junction, as well as other local road changes, such as a new spine road which it is anticipated could eventually become the realigned A403 – part of which has already been constructed.

(more…)

Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council