Representation by Jonathan Cantrill
- Date submitted
- 14 September 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I wish to register my concerns with regard to the A57 Link Roads. Firstly the plans in there current form will move congestion from one area to another without solving the issue. In fact creating the link road will attract more traffic to the whole of Glossopdale as cross pennine traffic looks for a quicker route. The A624 between Chapel-en-le-Frith is already subject to many HGV vehicles for which the road is particularly unsuitable, the building of the new road will significantly increase the likelihood that they will chose this route. Secondly the environmental impact of further road expansion to encourage road use, when alternative greener transport use is urgently needed to help counter the global environmental emergency. Air pollution in the Glossopdale area will increase, which directly increases deaths, impairs development of children, and the increase in noise will have a detrimental effect on all those in the area. Thirdly the cost of the scheme is scandalous, (estimated to be £180m), the money should be spent far more wisely on improvements to other alternative transport strategises, public transport, etc. An investment of this amount in the Glossopdale area would bring wonderful benefits to the community as a whole. Fourthly I regularly use the A555 airport link road, a recently completed bypass scheme which cost an incredible £550m and has done nothing to alleviate the original congestion, is poorly designed (similar to the proposed A57 link roads), floods to the point that it has to close regularly, causes tailbacks for miles around the area. A direct comparison with how this road joins the A6 at High Lane will clearly show without question the current A57 Link Roads proposal will not work and should be scrapped immediately under its present form. Finally an investigation should be launched in to who benefits financially from this scheme, certain individuals and companies are set to make a fortune out of the scheme, MP’s and government ministers who are backed by donors who are set to benefit directly or indirectly from the construction of this folly are pushing for the project, and it is clearly based on profit first and people second.