Lancashire County Council is giving people more time to have their say on a new transport plan for Lancaster which could see travel in the district transformed over coming decades. Consultation on the draft document was due to close on Thursday 7 May but has now been extended to Friday 22 May.
The District of Lancaster Highways and Transport Draft Masterplan contains a range of proposals to be developed by 2031. It sets out options for major changes to highways, public transport and walking and cycling facilities to create conditions for economic growth and prepare for predicted increases in traffic.
Some are changes that people have been seeking for over 20 years – but were consistently stonewalled by the County Council, which was adamant that all local traffic problems could only be solved by building the Heysham Link Road – despite widespread local opposition. Now that the demands of Peel Ports, chief lobbyists for the Link, have been met (for the time being) the County Council is finally turning its attention to the real transport needs of the local economy.
You can download the draft Masterplan from Lancashire County Council’s website here and respond via an online questionnaire here, or write in with your views to:
Lancaster Highways and Transport Masterplan, Environment Directorate, Room C4, County Hall, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 0LD.
The county council is consulting on the principles of the proposals contained within the masterplan, many of which will need further work to identify their viability and options for funding and delivery. Responses will inform the contents of the final document.
Proposals in the draft masterplan include:
- To greatly reduce traffic in the centre of Lancaster, with much greater use of sustainable transport such as park-and-ride buses and cycling.
- Relocating J33 of the M6 to access the A6 between Galgate and Lancaster University to serve the south of the city and allow a new approach to traffic management in Lancaster.
- To develop proposals for better connections to Morecambe, and measures to make Morecambe and Carnforth more attractive places for pedestrians and cyclists.
- A district-wide cycling and walking strategy to make walking and cycling safe and convenient for an increasing number of local journeys.
- A study of the business case for better rail connections to Morecambe and around the whole bay area, taking into account connections to Cumbria, particularly from Carnforth.
Marcus Hudson, head of planning at Lancashire County Council, said: “There has been a lot of interest in the options to improve transport put forward in the masterplan, and some people have asked us to give them more time to respond.
“We realise that the proposals are very wide-ranging and are more than happy to extend the consultation as we want to consider all views and reflect them in the final document.”
For further information please contact: Mike Warren on 01772 533537