Representation by William Ferson
- Date submitted
- 3 September 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I object to the A66 being granted a DCO . NH have stated growing tourism, specifically the Lake District Park as one of the main justifications for dualling 9 sections. NH have failed to consult with the LDNP. The chief executive of LDNP has confirmed there has been no consultation and expressed surprise that tourism is being given as a justification for a road which completely ignores the UK carbon budget and undermines efforts to meet that target. Consultation should have taken place with the LDNP. The are trying to achieve exactly the opposite and rather than encourage people to travel to the LDNP by car they have developed a policy to reduce journey by car. The LDNP have developed a carbon budget for the park and recognise that the main contributor is travel to the park. It’s policy sets out to reduce car travel both to the park and when visitors arrive. NH have not only failed to consult with the LDNP but appear to be purposefully ignoring their policy and seek to funnel more traffic into the park by road despite the objections of local residents and concerns that this World Heritage Site is being overwhelmed by cars. See LDNP policy. https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/143820/vision-v2.7-in-corporate-style-pdf. An increase in cars visiting the park is detrimental to the visitor experience causing congestion, pollution and litter. It is a fragile environment and already experiencing the effects of climate change due to reduced rainfall in summer months and deluges of rainfall in winter. The LDNP and Friends of the Lake District both recognises this and are trying to control car numbers as this is one of the major contributors to carbon. NH should not be allowed to simply ignore the wish to control the number of visitors arriving by car when that is in direct opposition to the objectives of the park and local residents. Restricting car journey also has an economic positive as people have to buy food locally benefitting local businesses. The second objection is that dualling the entire A66 reduces the possibility of the missing link between the Yorkshire Dales national Park, The North Pennines AONB and the Lake District ever gaining national Park status. This is surely a possibility given the recent increases to both park. Dualling the A66 reduces this possibility. The Government has set a target of reutuning 300,000 acres to nature. Land in national parks and upland areas are most suitable for achieving this. This project seems to be in direct opposition to the plan to restore nature as it intrudes into AONS, SAC, SSI and will reduces the UK’s agricultural land store. The route at Kirkby Thore which massive departs from the existing road is the worst example. This section is objected to by Friends of the Lake District, Natural England and Eden Rivers Trust due to impact on the floodplain.