East Midlands Government Office issued a letter yesterday confirming there will be a public inquiry into the Postwick Hub junction, should it survive the Government spending review in October.
The news is a positive step toward the abandonment of the whole North East Growth Triangle plans, as should the junction not receive planning permission, the future of the NDR and the growth this would inevitably bring, would seem very fragile indeed.
NNTAG (Norwich and Norfolk Transport Action Group), SNUB and others opposed to the Hub have campaigned hard for a public inquiry, by lobbying MP’s and writing to the government to point out that the scheme is poorly designed. Closure of the slip road currently used to travel from the A47 to the Yarmouth Road would undoubtedly increase car journeys and carbon emissions and produce further increases in traffic to rural roads in the area.
It has also been cited as a key part of the Northern Distributor Route, despite promoters of the scheme claiming falsely it is merely an improvement required to expand the local Park and Ride service and to improve access to Broadland Business Park.
Rumbled!! A public inquiry will soon show the scheme up for what is really is; a back door way of beginning the NDR whilst circumventing standard planning processes.
Rumbled! that is exactly what happened.
ReplyDeleteWhat is worse it tells us that our Councils will do anything in their quest to force their plans upon us. Some members have been on the Council for so long that they believe they can behave as they like with impunity.
When the Leader of Norfolk County Council uses language like Daniel Cox today accusing those who disagree with his view 'of wanting to see Norfolk in the Dark Ages', you just marvel at the arrogance.
Don't you think that Norfolk County Council has done more to keep Norfolk in the dark ages over the years than anything the opponents of their wastrel schemes have done.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget they were warned at the beginning of the year about this road plan and yet they still announced that they would use PFI to build it if the Government would not give them what they wanted.
To see a photograph in the EDP of the Postwick Hub laid out on the ground already was frightening.
Grandiose they are good at, but the idea of reforming politics which does away with double hatters and the excesses of professional councillors is a different matter.
I get the feeling the whole thing is like a house of cards. We just need that last gust of wind!
ReplyDelete