Evidence for link road ‘like the dodgy dossier on Iraq’
By Green Party campaigners have described the evidence to justify the controversial South Bristol Link Road as more like the “dodgy dossier” drawn up to support the invasion of Iraq.
On Thursday, West of England Joint Transport Executive Committee members will meet to discuss the project, which is proposed to be in operation by 2017.
How it could look: Artist's impression of the South Bristol Link Road
The £47million link would provide a route for bendy buses, general traffic on a single-carriageway road and a separate path for cyclists and pedestrians.
It would sweep around south Bristol from a terminus for bendy buses at the Long Ashton park and ride to the new community hospital at Hengrove.
The plan though has come under fire from pressure groups such as the Transport for Greater Bristol Alliance, which says the link road “is a piece of fiction created to give us a road rather than a transport scheme that works”.
Green spokesman Pete Goodwin has now submitted the party’s stance to the committee, saying: “Just like the Iraq dossier, it seriously lacks hard evidence, it’s selective, it relies on hearsay, and it’s driven by ideology and a deadline.”
Mr Goodwin added that when plans for the road came under scrutiny from members of all the West of England councils, they too complained of the ‘incompleteness’ of the arguments and called for much more persuasive evidence if it is to go ahead.
Supporters of the scheme say the development is an essential part of the regeneration of the city though.
John Savage, chief executive of Business West, which represents regional businesses, told the Evening Post in October last year that the link road was “a vital ingredient we’ve needed for transport and economic growth for 50 years. Any delays in making this link available would be robbing people and future generations of a better chance of getting a job.”
Well I'm, like Mr. Savage, no expert on transport but why would I want to jump on a Bendybus at Hengrove to go to Ashton Park and Ride, and if going in opp. direction, why leave my car in the P/R and use the BB when I can stay in my car and drive all the way . None of it makes sense and at a cost of £47 million some explanation is required to convince me that it's money well spent.
na.. nei.. nia.. Suckers.
This is nothing to do with transport.
This new "road" (for that is what it is) passes through and by large areas of land which is currently green and where the owners want to get planning permission to build on it. The Temple Meads to Ashton Vale BRT is the same. These are both roads to nowhere.
Why is the GWE Business West such a backer of a "public" transport network? Why have they never expressed any interest in any other aspect of public transport?
This is all about making money for property speculators who have bought green land cheap on the gamble that they would be able to get permission ot build on it. Simply getting permission quintuples the land value.
We are facing a fight to keep the green spaces of this city, whilst we are flooded with empty commercial and industrial spaces. No money to be made getting permission to build on old commercial land I'm afraid. So that will all have to stay derelict.
John Savage is right – anyone who regular tries to get round south of the city must have experienced the convoluted – and in places dangerous – route you have to take.
Bristol has needed a ring road for at least 50 yrs – and it's political stances that have stopped it.
We lost our chance of a traffic free centre as a result, probably lost our chance of a metro – and certainly threw away opportuniies to improve our city. A single lane road is not much compensation – but at least it would be a start.
When somebody can explain how you get from the Long Ashton Bypass to the northern end of this so called "Ring Rd." at Filton, I may think there is some merit in this. Untill then, it will just shift the jams at a quicker rate to Cumberland Bason. What John Savage is really saying is this will make it far more easy to argue a case for opening up for development the South Bristol Greenbelt. As for jobs. I thought the claim was that new jobs in South Bristol would be for the people of South Bristol. How do you spell nieve?
Naive.
Well said.
Bristol doesn't need yet more road construction. It needs decent, reliable and affordable public transport, as well as fewer motorised three-piece suites clogging the place up day and night.