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Cllr. Paul Hickman - worried about traffic gridlock |
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The prospects of a bypass for Lyndhurst seem as far away as ever following a bombshell decision by the Tory controlled County Council. In recent months, hopes had been raised when Lyndhurst Parish Council had promoted a bypass scheme that seemed to have attracted strong support, especially amongst some New Forest Councillors.
Members of Lyndhurst Parish Council had visited a number of neighbouring Parish Councils, promoting a design for a bypass. This would have reduced the need for traffic to travel through the High Street, an area that gets choked with traffic for much of the year. The problem of congestion is so serious that Lyndhurst High Street has been designated as an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA).
Despite the best efforts of the Parish Council, it appears that any proposals for pushing ahead with a bypass have been dealt a severe blow. The decision of the Tory Portfolio Holder for the Environment has meant that the plans will probably once again be effectively shelved for years and years.
It may be just a chance occurrence, but changes brought in by the Tory administration in the way the County Council operates, will mean that a number of bodies that included representatives of Parish, District and County Councillors that would have looked at such plans, are being scrapped.
Lib Dem Councillor, Paul Hickman, says "I feel pretty angry that the County Council can treat the matter in such a cavalier fashion. It doesn't seem that the will is there to actually bite the bullet. How long will it be before the area surrounding Lyndhurst is actually gridlocked?" |
