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Bypass parks threat

Tom Rowley
29/ 8/2007

THOUSANDS of walkers, cyclists and riders would be put off from using the Trans Pennine Trail and the Pennine Way if the Mottram bypass and Glossop spur go ahead, say Peak District Park bosses.

The National Park Authority will present its objections to the schemes when the public inquiry re-opens on Tuesday.

Its prime concern is that the bypass and spur are predicted to cause a 20 per cent increase in traffic crossing some of the park's most sensitive landscapes by 2015.

With four national trails crossing the route, peak park bosses say thousands of walkers, cyclists and riders would be deterred by the extra traffic and the quality of their experience would be reduced.

It also argues that both the A628 and its offshoot the A6024 pass through nationally-designated protected landscapes between Manchester and Sheffield, including Longdendale, Woodhead Moors and Langsett.

These contain an internationally-important special protection area, special area of conservation and Site of Special Scientific Interest. Though the authority agrees there is a need to relieve traffic congestion from Glossop and the Longdendale villages, it believes the scheme would still harm the landscape.

Authority chairman Narendra Bajaria urged the agency to introduce extra restraint and enhanced safety measures immediately to help deter cross-park traffic and relieve congestion.

"At the same time, the agency and Tameside Council should do a comprehensive assessment of the alternatives to a bypass and put forward the most appropriate scheme if it can occur with an acceptable environmental impact on the National Park," he said.

He added that alternatives should be assessed as a comprehensive package, to include a lorry ban combined with speed limits and public transport improvements.

The authority first opposed the current bypass proposal in April 2006 during the agency's initial public consultation and reaffirmed its opposition in March after being consulted on further proposals.

The public inquiry opened on 26 June and recessed for the summer a month later. It resumes on 4 September, when park bosses hope their representatives will be the first to give evidence.


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Most recent 2 of 2 user comments

   why should tameside have any say about the new road when the majority of it will be in derbyshire?
glossop resident, glossop
15/09/2007 at 18:00
   Its vital that the Tameside Press reporting on the Mottram ByPass scheme shows complete impartiality and the consistant references to the Seige Committee Chairman`s assertions without permitting responses from such as myself are becoming increasingly seen as biased reporting by local media,which also includes the M.E.N. Such a pity that those directly linked to Politicians are permitted these press perks.
John Hall, Tameside
2/09/2007 at 12:47
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