The Save Rimrose Valley campaign is urging everyone who cares about Rimrose Valley to object to plans for a dual carriageway to be built down its centre.
This follows Highways England’s announcement [1] that it is due to hold two public information sessions later this month. A formal consultation on the route is set to take place early next year.
The announcement also warns that boreholes will soon be drilled across the parkland and that the work will last for several weeks. This will be the first visible and intrusive work to be carried out by the Government Company.
The campaign is calling on the public to send a clear and powerful message that a new road is not welcome and wants people to turn out in force. However, it claims that the scheduling of these sessions does not meet the public’s needs.
In response to the announcement, Stuart Bennett from the Save Rimrose Valley campaign said:
“Whilst we welcome any opportunity to have a say on this hugely unpopular road, even if we are ignored [2], the dates and times these sessions have been arranged for raises some serious questions. Given that this is such a controversial project, with huge implications for our health and environment, we have been given less than two weeks’ notice. They are midweek, predominantly during working hours, with the remainder at a time when many people will be having their evening meals.
“We have been warned that this could happen and we are concerned that this sets a worrying precedent for the statutory consultation. Why are they not covering weekends?
"Have these timings been designed for the public’s convenience, or Highways England’s?
“Unless their employers, the Department for Transport are present, there is once again no opportunity for us to discuss alternatives to roads. It’s our mission to get this on the agenda.
“Our message to the public is simple: turn out in force, reject the road outright and demand a sustainable alternative. We believe people will see through this latest attempt to ‘sell’ the road scheme and view it for what it is; a public health and environmental disaster.
“We will be demonstrating at these events and also once groundworks on Rimrose Valley begin. Search for “save Rimrose Valley” on social media and follow us for more information.”
Notes
[1] See Above Image: Highways England Newsletter No:6
[2] The proposed road through Rimrose Valley Country Park is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and a replacement for the current A5036 Liverpool Port Access Road.
The DfT instructed Highways England to design a road to service the newly-expanded Port of Liverpool; facilitating more HGV movements.
In its public consultation Highways England offered only two options; both of which were unpalatable to the local community and in fact weren’t any choice at all. Option B (Rimrose Valley) was the least favoured. Summary of results here: