A Blyth man living next to the town's proposed long-awaited relief road fears the £60 million scheme won't have the desired impact on congestion issues. Planning permission for the road was secured in April, with work set to start once the Government approves the necessary funding.
Resident's Concerns
Professor Martin Barwood, who spoke to object to the scheme at the planning committee, remains adamant that the relief road should not go ahead. The council received more than 130 objections, although 1,408 residents were sent official notification of the scheme.
Professor Barwood said: "There's still a fair bit of discomfort amongst residents about the road itself. Councillors at the planning meeting were amazed at how close the road will be to some of the houses, it will be within 14 metres of where I live and closer for others."
"In my opinion, the evidence underpinning the road is not good. The business case is based on 20,000 cars using the road, which is said to be too much for the transport network and is linked to harmful levels of exhaust emissions."
"I don't think anybody is disputing that there needs to be a solution in those two areas. The problem is that on parts of Cowpen Road, the level of traffic is not predicted to fall below 20,000 vehicles even after the scheme is completed."
"It's still exposing the residents of that side of the town to harm without mitigating it, but also to residents on South Newsham Road. It's ethically questionable."
"We feel it will impact on the peaceful enjoyment of our homes. From a human rights perspective, that can be done if it's justified in a public interest way, but we don't think it will address the issues."
"The overall benefit to the network is a couple of kilometres per hour. A lot of money is being spent and residents remain pretty unhappy."
"We all support things that will improve Blyth, but I don't think this particular plan will do that. What can be done, I don't know."
Project Details
The multi-million pound project will see the construction of a new dual carriageway at the western end of the A1061. The 1.3km stretch will connect the A192 Three Horseshoes junction and the existing A1061 Portland Wynd roundabout. Road widening of the existing single carriageway to dual carriageway will also be carried along the length of the A1061. In addition, a new single carriageway link between Chase Farm Drive and Ogle Drive will be constructed.
Council figures show a prediction that Cowpen Road would have more than 26,000 daily users without the relief road - this would fall to just over 21,500 if the scheme was implemented, a drop of 18%. In comparison, South Newsham Road would see a rise from 13,000 to 21,000 as it would be upgraded to a dual carriageway. The A192 between the Three Horse Shoes Roundabout and Laverock Hall Road would see a drop from 14,250 daily users to under 5,000 - a drop of 66%.
Council Response
Responding to Professor Barwood's concerns, a spokesman for Northumberland County Council said: "The Blyth Relief Road is set to deliver a range of benefits including a notable reduction in overall travel times and distance travelled for road users, alongside an increase in average speeds."
"These improvements are set out in the Outline Business Case which has been independently audited and is now with the Department for Transport for review. Modelled traffic flows indicate that the relief road serves to redistribute trips across the network."
"In particular, the scheme relieves pressure on the A1061 Laverock Hall Road, a key local route that currently experiences significant congestion, especially during peak periods. This decongestion effect is further enhanced by the addition of the Chase Farm Drive link, which contributes to a reduction in traffic volumes on the A193 Cowpen Road."
"Also, by providing additional capacity and more direct routing options, the scheme improves accessibility and supports the movement of both passenger and freight traffic. This has wider implications for journey reliability, local air quality, and the attractiveness of the area for future growth and investment."
