Rugby Western Relief Road
Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Transport, has approved plans to allow this 26 million pound congestion-busting scheme to go ahead. The relief road will run from the A426 Avon Mill roundabout to Lawford Road, and then across country to a new roundabout near to the “Home Rule for Crick” disused railway bridge that crosses over the A4071 Coventry Road at Potsford Dam, just past Cawston. There are still a few details to be ironed out, however, and so the work is not expected to start until early in 2007, with the road – hopefully – then being completed and opened after about 6 months.
Public meetings have been arranged to take place in February for Cawston and Admirals residents to discuss the implications of the Western Relief Road; and New Bilton borough councillor, Ish Mistry, is arranging a similar meeting for New Bilton. Details of this will be posted on the website when they become available, so watch this space!
UPDATE.....Update 5th Feb 2006
Sadly it seems that the original statement put out in the local press regarding the go-ahead for the Western Relief Road contained some inaccuracies. A letter in the Feb. 2nd issue of the “Rugby Advertiser” from Warwickshire County Cllr. Martin Heatley, portfolio holder for Environment, Transport & Rural Affairs, states that the work will “start as planned by January 2007 at the latest. The construction period will last around 20 months…”, and so not the six months indicated in the earlier article! Cllr Heatley concludes his letter by saying that the road will open in the autumn of 2008.
Press Release from the Warwickshire County Council
14 January 2005
WHERE NEXT FOR RUGBY WESTERN RELIEF ROAD?
The Department for Transport has announced a date for reconsidering the Rugby Western Relief Road. The Inquiries into the Compulsory Purchase and Side Roads Orders for the Rugby Western Relief Road scheme will re-open on 15 March 2005 at the Masonic Hall, Church Walk, Rugby CV21 3AZ.
The new Inquiry will reconsider the Minister’s provisional decision in July 2004 to give the go-ahead for the northern section of the scheme only, from the A424 Avon Mill roundabout to the A428 Lawford Road. He recommended that the scheme should be built in stages and that the dismantled railway corridor should be used for the southern (countryside) section.
Warwickshire County Council challenged the decision on the grounds that the Inspector at the original public inquiry in April 2003 did not take into account all the relevant evidence and considerations. The Council believes that constructing the scheme in one stage offers the best chance of delivering the Relief Road without a major delay, and that the dismantled railway corridor would be better preserved for future rail use.
The Secretary of State for Transport has now appointed a new Inspector to hear further evidence from persons interested in the land concerned, and, at his discretion, representations from anyone else who may desire to appear and be heard.
To enable the Secretary of State to come to a decision, the Inspector has been asked to consider further submissions on the Council’s proposed route from the A428 Lawford Road to Potford’s Dam, and about matters raised in the Inspector’s report following the previous Inquiries.
Andy King, MP for Rugby and Kenilworth, says: "I am delighted that the Minister has accepted that this matter needs to be looked at once more. We must ensure that this time there is no room for doubt regarding the need for the full and immediate implementation of the scheme without further delay."
For more information, contact Brian Follett on 01926 412094. The Department for Transport’s formal Notice of Inquiries can be viewed on the Council’s website: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/roads.
Other links for the Rugby western relief road are:
- RWRR Home Page
- RWRR consultation
- RWRR Secretary of State Decision
To have your say about this project visit the discussion forum.
Public meetings have been arranged to take place in February for Cawston and Admirals residents to discuss the implications of the Western Relief Road; and New Bilton borough councillor, Ish Mistry, is arranging a similar meeting for New Bilton. Details of this will be posted on the website when they become available, so watch this space!
UPDATE.....Update 5th Feb 2006
Sadly it seems that the original statement put out in the local press regarding the go-ahead for the Western Relief Road contained some inaccuracies. A letter in the Feb. 2nd issue of the “Rugby Advertiser” from Warwickshire County Cllr. Martin Heatley, portfolio holder for Environment, Transport & Rural Affairs, states that the work will “start as planned by January 2007 at the latest. The construction period will last around 20 months…”, and so not the six months indicated in the earlier article! Cllr Heatley concludes his letter by saying that the road will open in the autumn of 2008.
Press Release from the Warwickshire County Council
14 January 2005
WHERE NEXT FOR RUGBY WESTERN RELIEF ROAD?
The Department for Transport has announced a date for reconsidering the Rugby Western Relief Road. The Inquiries into the Compulsory Purchase and Side Roads Orders for the Rugby Western Relief Road scheme will re-open on 15 March 2005 at the Masonic Hall, Church Walk, Rugby CV21 3AZ.
The new Inquiry will reconsider the Minister’s provisional decision in July 2004 to give the go-ahead for the northern section of the scheme only, from the A424 Avon Mill roundabout to the A428 Lawford Road. He recommended that the scheme should be built in stages and that the dismantled railway corridor should be used for the southern (countryside) section.
Warwickshire County Council challenged the decision on the grounds that the Inspector at the original public inquiry in April 2003 did not take into account all the relevant evidence and considerations. The Council believes that constructing the scheme in one stage offers the best chance of delivering the Relief Road without a major delay, and that the dismantled railway corridor would be better preserved for future rail use.
The Secretary of State for Transport has now appointed a new Inspector to hear further evidence from persons interested in the land concerned, and, at his discretion, representations from anyone else who may desire to appear and be heard.
To enable the Secretary of State to come to a decision, the Inspector has been asked to consider further submissions on the Council’s proposed route from the A428 Lawford Road to Potford’s Dam, and about matters raised in the Inspector’s report following the previous Inquiries.
Andy King, MP for Rugby and Kenilworth, says: "I am delighted that the Minister has accepted that this matter needs to be looked at once more. We must ensure that this time there is no room for doubt regarding the need for the full and immediate implementation of the scheme without further delay."
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For more information, contact Brian Follett on 01926 412094. The Department for Transport’s formal Notice of Inquiries can be viewed on the Council’s website: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/roads.
Other links for the Rugby western relief road are:
- RWRR Home Page
- RWRR consultation
- RWRR Secretary of State Decision
To have your say about this project visit the discussion forum.