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Western Link 6 Routes to chose from or none, what's your colour?


Geoffrey Settle

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Well with the 2nd bridge or is it 3rd bridge consultation now under way what is your colour preference?

Protest groups like the Yellow Brick Road and Orange Squash have taken to social media and started their campaigns.

Gary is out in his Range Rover or 4 by 4 test driving across places like Arpley Tip or the meadows in search of the foundations for the new hosing estate so that he can get an online scoop ahead of his rivals.  So will you go for Yellow, Orange, Red, Pink, Green, Purple - or Black for no change?

Does it really make any difference at all?

http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/2017/06/13/public-urged-to-have-say-on-six-options-for-new-western-link-road/

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Unfortunately (dare I say 'as usual') the pdf maps showing all the proposed coloured routes on the councils website are so blummin' small that it's hard to actually make any sense of them as to which roads/immediate local area they really impact on.  I even saved some thinking I would be able to zoom in but NO still not much use as they then pixelate.
Surely WBC techies have a way of putting the info on their website so we can actually view and digest it all properly from the comfort of our own homes at a time that suits us !

I am aware of some of the various groups that have set up to fight the route which affects them directly and it seems that most routes have an 'against' party so I wonder how long it will be before all the 'not this route' groups start battling it out between themselves and falling out....

Anyway...I can't really make an informed decision or comments as like I said I've not been able to properly view them online...and I've not been able to go to any of the meetings so far as they have all clashed with my work hours.  Fingers crossed I might get to the one in the Golden Square on Saturday as that's my only chance to see and hear about it all.....if not then you will have to fill me in Asp (take some notes and pics of their displays just in case)

 

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Well I went to Golden Square to view the display, which is more or less what you can see on their website. There were a few bodies there to answer questions, and glossy brochures to take home.

So, having studied the evidence, I have gone for the red option because it seems to offer the smoothest route with least disruption, although there would have to be improvements to Cromwell Avenue to take the increased traffic in the future. I filled the questionnaire in online, even though some of the optional questions seem irrelevant (religion, ethnicity- really?)

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Hi Asp -the additional questions are the standard ones that WBC use for all it's questionnaires. They will be used to gauge what sort of balance/cross section of the population has answered the questions. I think I favour the red route as you say the path of least resistance and disturbance to the environment.

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I went too today although rather ironically I nearly missed it due to traffic and then going round and round trying to then find somewhere to park in the undergrounf GS square car park :unsure:

The people on hand to answer questions were very friendly and helpful which was good.

The maps on display were a bigger version and also displayed the road names which was better than the online versions.

So which route do I think is the best option....I've no idea

The Green and Pink routes are definitely a no go as they both run off off the new road from the smaller new bridge (off Chester Road near Gainsborough Road junction) so all traffic would still have to go over the Chester Road Swing bridge first.  With Peel Holdings plans for the Ocean Gateway and Peel Ports that would never work.

So that leaves the Yellow, Orange, Red & Purple  options.....

When I was there most were complaining about the Red, Orange and Purple so I guess that meant Yellow was most favourable to them.   It did seem the one which had less impact on existing homes and businesses though.

So for now I'm thinking Yellow having looked at their better plans....... I don't see how any will really relieve congestion though based on where they come out the other side and with the addition of 1000's of new homes planned along the route (as confirmed by their spokesperson today who saif the new high level bridge and new homes plans both go hand in hand ). 

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I forgot to mention that all the four routes (not counting the other 2 ie Green and Pink which are pointless) will result in the demolition of the Grade II Listed 'Baronett Mews' barn conversions.  These Grade II Listed home border Morely Common and have all been renovated to a very high standard.

I asked about those and was told 'yes unfortunately they would be flattened to make way for the road footings/embankment'.

I also asked if they could just do that with Grade II listed buildings and the response I got was quite shocking.

I was told it wasn't really a problem as 90% of listed building were Grade II and being GRADE II DOES NOT PROTECT A BUILDING and all it means (apparently) is that an application for Listed Building Consent is needed and then they can go...... I said but they have all been restored and are beautiful.....but the same still stands apparently.

God help all Warrington's other Grade II listed buildings too if it's 'so easy' :shock:
 

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If you lived in Penketh Dizzy you would be appalled at the idea of the yellow route, even putting aside the cost and estimated time to build it. The Lane Ends junction is overloaded at all times already, and if this route were adopted the traffic, most of which would be headed eastward anyway, would cause mayhem.

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The yellow route will pass across the tip and raises issues of treating the landfill, foundations, proximity to the river Mersey embankment - hence the high cost - not to mention an additional two bridges as well as the exit point on an already very busy road which at time is down to one lane because of parked cars.

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22 hours ago, asperity said:

If you lived in Penketh Dizzy you would be appalled at the idea of the yellow route, even putting aside the cost and estimated time to build it. The Lane Ends junction is overloaded at all times already, and if this route were adopted the traffic, most of which would be headed eastward anyway, would cause mayhem.

I completely agree Asp and the only reason I said YELLOW was because it seems to have the least impact on peoples homes and also businesses.  I feel so sorry for people who have lived in their homes for many many years and local businesses owners too who suddenly find themselves at arms reach of a compulsory purchase order and there's not much they can do about it

Looking at all routes you must see that they all end on roads which quite frankly wont be able to cope as they are already so busy.

I don't see how any of them will work without causing congestion elsewhere.

A gent I was stood near on Saturday raised a valid point about the new bridge.  He said that all traffic from Widnes wanting to avoid the tolls on their new bridge would surely come down Chester Road to use our FREE new bridge.  He said that would undoubtedly include HGV's and the likes as the tolls on the Runcorn bridge would cost them/their companies a fortune.   He said the route had been measured and If they detoured using our 'new' bridge it would only add a mile to their journey :shock:

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14 hours ago, Geoffrey Settle said:

The yellow route will pass across the tip and raises issues of treating the landfill, foundations, proximity to the river Mersey embankment - hence the high cost - not to mention an additional two bridges as well as the exit point on an already very busy road which at time is down to one lane because of parked cars.

Very true Geoff but will building those extra 2 bridges cost too much more as they will be low level.  I may be wrong but it looks like other routes will also require the addition of another bridge or two along their routes.  The chap yesterday did point out that one of the routes (Red I think) already had the other two bridge/crossings in place.  I presume he must have meant the bridge you cross from Old Liverpool Road as you pass the newish housing estate as you head to Arpley tip.   If that is the one of the ones he meant  is it suitably for heavy and continuous daily traffic use?

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Dizzy, the yellow route would pass within a hundred yards of my house and considerably closer to the backs of many of my neighbours'. According to the brochure the yellow route would require two new major bridges, the other 5 routes would require at least one new bridge and, possibly a new bridge and for the bridge at Forrest way to be altered or replaced. In any case the yellow route is costed as most expensive and the longest construction period (Brown envelopes may come into play here!)

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Had a quick look at the various routes and to be honest the ones that do not have a bridge over the ship canal will add little to ease the congestion as the roads will still be at the mercy of peel canal traffic and their sticky bridges and seem to be just there to open up land for development around arpley meadows.

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17 hours ago, Evil Sid said:

Had a quick look at the various routes and to be honest the ones that do not have a bridge over the ship canal will add little to ease the congestion as the roads will still be at the mercy of peel canal traffic and their sticky bridges and seem to be just there to open up land for development around arpley meadows.

All routes will open up the land for development around Arpley Meadows etc Evils.  I asked one of the chaps at the info exhibition on Saturday specifically that and he said YES to all....and that the new housing developments would all be linked into whatever new route is chosen.  He also said that without the new bridge (any option) then no housing could probably be built.

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11 hours ago, Geoffrey Settle said:

I think you see it clearly Peels influence on the decision could be critical :ph34r: after all they own all the land from Liverpool Docks to Manchester Docks and beyond and this is on their turf.

Yep and according to the same chap I keep mentioning I talked to...WBC apparently have meetings every week as standard with Peel Holdings. 

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No, that's not the reason that I gave but in terms of meters away from where I live it is the furthest by perhaps 50 meters. I gave several reasons for selection ng the yellow route and none of them involved distance from my house. After all I have no problem getting to the North of Warrington.

I assessed it from largely an impact on environmental and community issues.

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True I wonder how many people have completed the survey.

Was it the yellow route that the two councillors received abuse about? Or was it one of the others a bit closer to the Town Centre.

One of the questions I asked was the evidence of how they believe that it will divert traffic from the Town Centre? Did they do a traffic survey to ascertain the origins and destinations of drivers? Or was it a finger in the air job?

I asked many more as you can imagine but as it took 12 months to get a responses to a Full Council question from last year I'm not holding my breath ?

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