We're on the road to bad health (From Warrington Guardian)

We're on the road to bad health

A LEADING county councillor has warned that increased road traffic is taking a heavy toll on the health of Winsford and Middlewich people.

Cty Clr David Lloyd-Griffiths, chairman of the county's environment committee, says that Cheshire urgently needs a radical new transport plan - and that building new roads is not the way forward.

The chairman spoke out as the county council took its first step towards creating a new Local Transport Plan by hosting a seminar at County Hall last Thursday.

Sixty delegates from local transport lobby groups, bus companies, district and parish councils and other local organisations attended the seminar to discuss the transport plan project.

The Local Transport Plan will be, according to Cty Clr Lloyd-Griffiths, "one of the most important documents this authority has produced for future generations."

He added: "With congestion costing the economy around £15 billion annually and traffic predicted to grow by more than one third over the next 20 years, it is patently clear that swift action is needed.

"CO2 emission from road transport is the fastest-growing contributor to climate change, and road traffic is causing air pollution that is damaging our health.

"Simply building more roads is not the answer, even if it could be afforded financially."

Cty Clr Lloyd-Griffiths stressed that Cheshire's transport plan would have to be prepared in a way which would meet the criteria for all-important Government funding.

The new Local Transport Plan will replace the old Transport Policies and Programme system which tended to focus on the need for more roads.

Creating a vision for the next 20 years, its emphasis will be on:

Promoting walking and cycling.

Setting local targets for action to reduce traffic growth and pollution.

Integrating all forms of transport.

An interim plan is due to be produced by July, with the final plan scheduled for a year later.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.