Traffic isn’t going away

In the past I have been a supporter of CPRE and Friends of The Peak District. However I withdrew my support when it became plain that theirs is an organisation with no concept of reality.
By David France
Published 27th Jan 2023, 07:51 BST
The A57 Snake PassThe A57 Snake Pass
The A57 Snake Pass

Their intended legal action to stop the Mottram bypass will ultimately fail. But it will succeed in prolonging the agony for thousands of people who are forced to use the A628 or add to the problems on The Snake Pass or, worse, use far more natural resources to take the lengthy M1/M62 route across the Pennines.

In doing that they will use up donated funds which could much more usefully be applied to the problems of overcrowding in the Peak District National Park.

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A few years ago I submitted a paper to the South Yorkshire CPRE and the Highways Agency, suggesting a cut-and-cover solution to the Woodhead bypass which would give an all-weather route, possibly funded by tolls, making it safer, fuel efficient and visually acceptable.

CPRE declined to support my plan.

But while they continue to block the improvements at Mottram, local people are choking in lorry fumes and suffer round the clock noise and vibration.

I sincerely hope their legal action fails at the first hurdle so that the Highways Agency can start work with some urgency.

Then we can discuss the real problem, the frequently blocked and accident prone Longdendale Valley. For sure, the traffic on this route isn’t going to go away any time soon.

David France

S41

Related topics:TrafficPeak District National ParkM62