28 January 2023 Confusion grows over South Lancaster Road Scheme

More urgent action needed as confusion grows over the South Lancaster road scheme to be discussed at Lancashire County Council Cabinet Meeting 2 February 2023

Summary

1. A meeting of Lancashire County Council Cabinet on 2 February 2023 will take decisions on the South Lancaster Road Infrastructure. The papers for this meeting have just been released and raise a number of serious concerns.

1. Do register your concerns alongside CLOUD and SLICE. Many CLOUD members will be extremely confused the plans released on 25 January 2023 for Agenda Item 5 for the Lancashire County Council Cabinet meeting on 2 February 2023. Click here for the map of new proposals,

This is an entirely different plan for M6 junction 33 reconfiguration and link road from those given to a Chapel Lane resident facing compulsory purchase in December 2022 that we reported in Newsbrief 97 on 13 January 2023. There are now no north facing slip roads but the link road crosses the West Coast Mainline not once but twice. The positioning of the Park and Ride scheme is unclear as is the Bailrigg Garden Village Spine road. The following Lancaster Guardian article gives a very good summary of the proposals and local feeling about it. https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/people/major-changes-planned-for-controversial-south-lancaster-road-and-housing-scheme-due-to-ancient-woodland-4002416

If you have concerns on the following or other issues you can submit your question to County Cabinet by midday on Monday 30th January using the form from this link (only one per person)

These are some of CLOUD’s concerns. Do send your own questions in ahead of the meeting:

1 Why were plans, dated 9 November 2022, released to one Chapel Lane resident in December 2022 but totally different ones released with the agenda for Lancashire County Council Cabinet on January 25 2023?

2. What is the estimated cost of the new additional bridge over the West Coast Main Line? Have Network rail been consulted about this?

3 Where precisely will the 500 car Park and Ride be situated and how will the surface water run off be handled? How will pollution of the Conder from oil etc be avoided? How has the flood risk to Galgate been assessed?

4 What evidence is there (eg traffic survey?) that a Park and Ride on Hazelrigg Lane will be used and by whom?

5 The proposed Bailrigg Garden Village Spine Road appears to have vanished from the latest plans? What does this mean?