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Major road scheme to boost East Lancs business

A major plan is being launched to identify how roads, rail and cycle networks need to be transformed to achieve East Lancashire’s ambitions to create a thriving economy, more job opportunities and healthy lifestyles in the coming decades.

Lancashire County Council is producing a set of five Highways and Transport Masterplans to cover all 12 districts of Lancashire and, where necessary, neighbouring areas, to ensure we have the right infrastructure to support future growth.

A new draft masterplan for East Lancashire is the first step towards making the case for multi-million pound investments in transport to support new businesses and homes while avoiding gridlock on the roads.

A six-week consultation on the preliminary strategy will start on October 23 to try and establish consensus among district councils, transport providers and local people on the problems and opportunities on the existing network, and priorities for the future. The county council is working closely with its partner in Transport for Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen Council, which has a big role to play in East Lancashire’s strategic development as the neighbouring transport authority.

It will build on recent confirmation of £40m funding for the Pennine Reach rapid transit system to improve links between Hyndburn and Blackburn, and the announcement by Transport for Lancashire of major investments in East Lancashire, including:

• £12.4m towards the estimated £13.8m total cost of a scheme to improve the standard and frequency of trains operating between Blackburn and Manchester by doubling parts of the track between Bolton and Blackburn.

• £2.8m towards the estimated £3.2m total cost of vital maintenance to the Centenary Way viaduct which carries the principal A682 road through the centre of Burnley.

• £1.8m towards the estimated £2m total cost of a scheme to cut congestion and support the Haslingden Road, Walker Park, Roman Road and Shadsworth industrial estates. Includes widening Haslingden Road, adding traffic lights at junctions and upgrading mini roundabouts.

The masterplan proposes wide-ranging, detailed work to identify problems, gaps and opportunities affecting roads and public transport, to make sure that people, businesses and housing markets have better links within East Lancashire and to other growth areas.

It will look at how the current rail network can be exploited to its full potential, making the most of investments by Network Rail elsewhere in the North West, and if there are benefits in extending the current network.

It will also focus on improving the two main motorway gateways to East Lancashire and on improving journeys on key ‘growth corridors’ including junction 8 to 13 of the M65, the A59 between Samlesbury and North Yorkshire, and the A671/A6068 route between Whalley and junction 8 of the M65.

As part of this, the plan also proposes a change to the route for a bypass to tackle longstanding congestion problems in the North Valley area of Colne and Foulridge. It would see around 4km of new road linking the M65 to the A56 north of Foulridge. While closely following the route of the former Colne to Skipton railway, it would not prevent the line being reopened.

Before going ahead, any new scheme brought forward under the plan would need to undergo full planning consent, with a business case first being established and public consultation held during the very early days of the process.

However, the masterplan is not just about rail and roads. It will also look at how public transport connects East Lancashire, following major improvements to public transport that are already planned or committed.

It also looks to improve our streets and public spaces to encourage more people to walk and cycle. As part of this, it establishes the principle of a strategic cycle network across East Lancashire that will provide connections between towns, employment, and housing.

Among the issues outlined in the plan are the congested nature of many roads and the geographical limitations to making improvements; reliance on car ownership in rural areas; and that, although many people in East Lancashire commute only a short distance, many would commute further if opportunities were there.

County Councillor John Fillis, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “By working with local people and partners we can build a blueprint that will deliver prosperity in Lancashire and beyond.

“Funding for major transport schemes is being devolved from the government to local transport bodies, presenting a huge opportunity to tackle some of the issues which will otherwise hold our economy back, and invest in improvements to foster growth.

“We are producing a set of five Highways and Transport Masterplans to cover all 12 districts of Lancashire and, where necessary, neighbouring areas, which outline the big picture for transport and form the basis to plan for the impact of future growth upon the transport network.

“In East Lancashire those Local Plans which set out strategic housing and business sites are not yet fully in place, and the robust evidence needed to demonstrate the case for new and improved infrastructure has not been established.

“This masterplan therefore aims to present the big issues we face to ensure people and goods can move efficiently on East Lancashire’s transport network, and propose where studies should focus to get a better understanding of the problems and potential solutions.

“Those studies will produce the sound evidence we need to make the case for investment in new schemes and ensure we have the right priorities to get good value for money from every pound spent.

“We’re now keen to discuss the proposals within the masterplan and listen to what people have to say.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .