With the re-submission of the Broughton bypass for planning permission the local Parish council have issued a passionate rallying cry for it to be passed.
Broughton parish councillor Peter Moss said it would return a quality of life to the village not experienced by residents for many years – or for some maybe never.
Mr Moss writes:
Broughton-in-Amounderness Parish Council has, alongside all our other work representing the community and trying to improve the quality of life in the parish, fought for over 30 years to bring an end to the misery of traffic, congestion pollution and environmental issues in the village.
We have been consistent in our position that a full village bypass is the only logical solution.
The roads through the village carry over 20,000 vehicles a day and long traffic queues are common all around the village.
The local environment suffers, the accident rate is high and the area is dangerous, especially for the many school children that pass through the village.
Broughton is the most polluted area of the City and Preston City Council has had to declare an Air Quality Management Area. The pollution is an invisible public health crisis for the village that is harming many of the most vulnerable people who live, work, play and study here.
Planning permission for the bypass has previously been granted in 2001 and 2008. The Parish Council would ask what has changed since 2008 that may have an effect on renewing the permission now? Congestion, pollution and risk to road users, especially since the Guild Wheel was opened are all deteriorating and are worse now than in 2008.
The Broughton bypass will result in a reduction in pollution, noise and general traffic disturbance both along the A6 and in the surrounding villages such as Barton and Woodplumpton that are currently blighted by use as ‘rat runs’. The Parish Council also welcomes the mitigation and improvement proposals including the bat roosts, boxes and ponds.
It is forecast that the proposed bypass will reduce traffic through the centre of Broughton by between 80% and 90%.
With such a substantial reduction in traffic, safety will be improved and the accompanying reduction in levels of noise and pollution will create a better environment for residents, shoppers, pedestrians and cyclists. This will enable many local residents to enjoy a quality of village life not experienced for many years.
If anyone is unconvinced by the benefits a bypass will bring, a visit to the village of Temple Sowerby in Cumbria may assist? 15,000 vehicles per day once passed through that village, only three quarters of the Broughton total.
A resident of Temple Sowerby, Dr Gavin Young, whose son James was left with severe injuries after an accident on the road, welcomed the opening of the bypass.
He said: “It has been a terrible place to live as you could not cross the road. I think this will reunite the village. It will be very peaceful and one will be able to hear blackbirds sing for the first time in probably half a century.”
Do you live in the area? What do you think of the bypass plans? Let us know in the comments below