MP's "blast" lack of progress. |
It is a cause of concern that an article made the front page of the Herald Express on July 9th, 2003 with the headline: BYPASS DELAY IS A DISGRACE. The article contains quotes from three local MP's who "blast" the lack of progress in respect of the Kingskerswell bypass.
In particular, it is worth picking up on the comments made by Torbay MP Mr Adrian Saunders, who stated that the five mile stretch is "important psychologically and environmentally for the village of Kingskerswell".
Well nothing could be further from the truth, and in less than twelve months time, the environmental impact survey will discredit this assertion.
To add insult to injury, our own Teignbridge MP - Richard Younger Ross was quoted as saying "traffic flows very slowly through the village". Well I think his definition of the village needs closer examination.
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The original village has a defined conservation area and is set well away from the sometimes congested A380 to which he refers. We should also remember that the A380 was the original bypass for the village. Upgrading the road has become more difficult due to a succession of failures in the management of planning applications which have allowed ribbon housing development along the route. Totnes MP Anthony Steen, who called the delays "an absolute disgrace" ought to look after his own electorate before telling Teignbridge residents what's good for us. Maybe his overriding concern is that some future alternative proposals don't threaten a slice of the South Hams? However, there are some signs of lateral thinking. Mr. Steen called for the existing road to be made into three lanes, one of the options supported by the Kingskerswell Alliance. A three lane road could have gantry light controlling a priority flow, i.e. two lanes open to accommodate the heaviest flow of traffic. This system is used to aid commuter traffic on the Saltash Bridge and works perfectly well. All sides in this debate are now entrenched. We therefore urge tolerance and ask interested parties to focus on the cost effective and practical solutions that are achievable, like building the flyover at Penn Inn roundabout as a stand alone project, rather than linking it to the bypass scheme. We have no problem with the MP's entering the debate or even supporting the bypass campaign; but please don't try and portray it as being good for the village! |