WARRINGTON South MP Andy Carter has secured an urgent debate in parliament following calls to scrap the controversial Westy Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme.
Despite some small adjustments to the traffic scheme by Warrington Borough Council highways planners in recent weeks, the MP for Warrington South has highlighted the continuing opposition by residents to the Latchford LTN in Parliament.
The moderations failed to address controversial planters which have stopped through traffic on Grange Avenue.
In a question to the Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordant MP earlier today (Thursday), Mr Carter said: “Roads have been closed to traffic resulting in longer journey times and more congestion. 87% of impacted residents in a survey I conducted say they want it to go back to how they were. Local Councillors need to listen to local residents and scrap these changes.”
Mr Carter called for a full debate in Parliament on the use of low traffic neighbourhoods and made reference to a local household survey he undertook in early Autumn where 88% of the respondents said they did not support the decision of the council to close Grange Avenue to through traffic and 84% believed the changes had resulted in increased journey times. Journey times along Kingsway and Knutsford Road have been significantly impacted and Mr Carter is warning that when Stockton Heath swing bridge closes to traffic early next year the roads through Latchford will be chaos.
Responding to Mr Carter MP’s questions the Leader of the House of Commons said Councillors should take note of what local people are saying “…not just because that’s what their representatives are supposed to do but because quite often they will have the best ideas about how to manage particular situations.”
Ms Mordant also congratulated the Warrington South MP on securing an urgent debate on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Parliament in the coming weeks.
Rachael Harper spokesperson for the Central 6 campaign group said: “I’d like to thank Andy for bringing this issue to national attention in Westminster, considering it was a scheme devised by his own government. It was fantastic to hear the leader of the House of Commons responding by saying councils should back their residents on issues like this as that’s what we have been campaigning for all along.”
Council to implement changes to Westy Low Traffic scheme following public feedback
