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From: admin@kingskerswellalliance.org.uk
Subject: Bypass Planning Application
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2004 13:14:57 -0000

From - The Kingskerswell Alliance

http://www.kingskerswellalliance.org.uk

Proposed Kingskerswell Bypass - Devon

Devon County Council and Torbay Council have just submitted their planning application for the controversial Kingskerswell Bypass scheme. If this road gets the go ahead, it will cut into the Kingskerswell Downs which has only just been scheduled by English Heritage as a national monument (due to the stone age field systems etc.). It would also destroy four listed County Wildlife Sites.

This week, the Highways Agency was severely criticised for failing to introduce measures that have succeeded elsewhere in reducing congestion and for not embracing advanced traffic-flow technology.

The report from the National Audit Office says the Government agency has been "too risk-averse" in its approach to anti-congestion methods used in other countries, such as car-sharing lanes, use of the hard shoulder and lanes where traffic direction is reversible in peak times (known as "Tidal Flow").

In the report by the Auditor General, entitled Tackling congestion by making better use of England's motorways and trunk roads it points out that the Agency has been slow to introduce new measures such as Tidal Flow schemes, to relieve road traffic congestion in England.

The report noted the Agency has run a small number of trials of various congestion-reducing measures to make a business case for adopting the measures elsewhere. But it has managed its trials poorly and the very small number of trials has limited its ability to find trial sites with the right characteristics and conditions for success.

The report recommends that the Agency carry out more trials of congestion-reducing measures at more sites to increase their chances of success, and also improve the design, management and delivery of its trials. Surely the congested A380 between Penn Inn and Torquay could also benefit from such innovative thinking?

Such a measure combined with the much needed Penn Inn flyover and a solution for the Jury's Corner junction at Kingskerswell would resolve the congestion at a fraction of the cost compared to the proposed £75m bypass scheme.

Whilst it is accepted that this stretch of the A380 no longer has trunk road status, the supporters of the bypass have always maintained it should be. Therefore the principles must apply - they can't have it both ways!

This must reignite the debate - is the bypass proposal about a traffic solution or about development opportunities?

Anyone who lives in the area or who travels to Torbay is urged to assist us by registering your views in writing to -

Mr. M Deaton, Devon County Council,
Environment Directorate, Lucombe House, County Hall,
Topsham Road, Exeter EX2 4QW

We need at least 500 bona fide letters to ensure a public enquiry is held next year.

Thank you.

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