Guardian News
Highways Agency boss urges villages to support plans for A556 bypass
2:20pm Monday 6th February 2012
THE man leading the plans to build the new A556 bypass has urged residents to support the scheme and not fight it.
The Highways Agency unveiled new plans for the A556 in the summer of 2011 after Chancellor George Osborne gave the green light to its funding in his autumn 2010 spending review.
However after the blueprint, which would see an ‘elevated’ junction and spur road built close to Millington, was unveiled, it caused uproar in the community.
The creation of the road could also mean a junction being built that links the A50 to the new bypass – a move that is proving unpopular with High Legh and Mere residents.
After holding a series of meetings with residents in the autumn, the agency is now consulting on the project before it submits the planning application later this year.
Jeremy Bloom, senior development manager at the Highways Agency, told the Guardian the body had listened to residents’ fears.
“We understood the frustration, and what we did is put the consultation back a couple of months after listening to what people said at the parish council meetings we attended,” he said.
“We have taken on board the concerns they had and brought back different options.
“We’ve looked at a number of different options and we’ve looked at making more of the connection to the A50, but there are a number of disadvantages to that and residents of Mere don’t support that.”
Millington residents have urged the community to lobby the Highways Agency for them to build a link road at junction 20 of the M6, but Mr Bloom was clear that this option would not be considered again.
“Junction 20 has been looked into in the past and has been discounted,” he said.
“To improve the junction, we have to widen the motorway and it would be expensive. In terms of the economic impact, it doesn’t actually stack up. In respect to people raising it we have looked at it, and I am satisfied there is not a case for it.
“The message I would give is that there has been all sorts of history with the A556, but we now have an opportunity to build this road and provide a relief for all the people who live on the road. The money is there for it and the Government supports us.
“I would urge the residents to support us, and I think if they fight the road they are wasting their energy. It will not achieve a great deal. What is up for grabs is how the residents can affect the scheme.”
The consultation ends on April 16 and a report will then be published. If you haven’t been to it yet then a session will be held at Cottons, on Thursday, February 9 from 1pm to 9pm.
The current cost estimate for the whole scheme is a minimum of £137 million to a maximum of £212 million, with a ‘central estimate’ of £174 million.
Subject to the completion of statutory processes, work is due to start before March 2015.