Council to make final decision on Westy LTN after latest consultation

WARRINGTON Borough Council highway planners will make a final decision on the future of the controversial LTN scheme at Westy following the latest round of consultations.

It follows residents handing over a no-confidence petition signed by more than 6,400 people to Warrington Borough Council Chief Executive Prof. Steve Broomhead, ahead of Monday night’s Full Council meeting at the Parr Hall. The petition was handed over in a mini-planter, representing opposition to planters blocking Grange Avenue.

The petition states residents have no confidence in the Central 6 Process, with residents also asking for the recall of an official update document that was posted through doors last week whioch they claim was full of inaccuracies.

Campaign spokesperson David Marshall said: “Residents are being gaslit on traffic volumes. The latest document, pushed through Westy residents doors last Thursday says, on the cover: Boundary is traffic down 5%. But inside it says boundary traffic is up 10% on Kingsway and 3% on Knutsford Road.
But even these figures are wrong and bear no relation to the official report. In the official report (C6 Streets Plan – Westy LTN – Interim Monitoring Report), published October 2022 (Pg 15 and Pg5)), it is clear, traffic flow data shows:

Broadbent Avenue traffic increased by 216%, (pg 15 and pg 5)
A50 Kingsway South (south of Grange Avenue) traffic increased by 14% (pg 15 and pg 5)
“And when it comes to traffic on internal streets the front page of the document says traffic is down, on internal streets, by 43%. But the official report says the internal road- Henshall Avenue had an increase in traffic of 60%.
“So we have an official document gas-lighting residents: telling them traffic is down between 5 and 43 % but in reality, it is up between 14-216% !

Pollution
He added: “Residents are being gaslit on pollution figures. The latest document, pushed through Westy residents’ doors says, on the cover: Air pollution down-but inside it says the identified increases in pollution are caused by ‘the weather’.
“In the official report (C6 Streets Plan – Westy LTN – Interim Monitoring Report) published October 2022, it is clear., it shows pollution increases of:
“50% Kingsway South (Nitrogen Oxides up from about 22 to 32 μg/m3) pg 24,
“20% Knutsford Road (Nitrogen Oxides up from about 18 to 22 μg/m3) Pg 25.
“The official report shows the data going back several years-which factors in the weather. The only year of increase, above the average, is the year the planters go down. The weather is not to blame.
“So residents experience increases in pollution due to traffic jams and displaced cars and we have evidence of increases in pollution but residents are being told that pollution is down.
Mr Marshall added: “The next round of consultation was supposed to happen in January 2023 with a resident opinion survey and publication of results and monitoring. This consultation is now 4 months late. Residents have been told there will be a survey after Easter and final decision in June. But these dates mean survey and monitoring data will be published with no time for due consideration. When will the survey happen? when will results be published? And what are we testing-if residents have swallowed the gas-lighting or their true experience of the Westy LTN?
“In the official engagement report the people have spoken to scrap the Westy LTN. In October 2022 (Warrington ATF Public Engagement report published October 2022 ) the official report said only 52 people saying support it the scheme (pg 26) The report goes on to say:

90% of All residents are strongly opposed to the scheme pg 25
87% of Disabled Residents strongly opposed pg 30
87% of over 65’s strongly opposed to Street Plans pg 28
89% of under 65’s strongly opposed to Street Plans pg 28
97% of nearby residents strongly opposed to Street Plans pg 26
76% of Westy residents strongly opposed to Street Plans pg 26

A Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “The information in the leaflet is based on data we have collected throughout the trial period, and we continue to measure air quality in the area alongside other key metrics including traffic flows and numbers of pedestrians.
“The next and final consultation phase for the Westy low-traffic neighbourhood scheme will open later this month. A decision on the future of the LTN will follow after this consultation closes. All views are therefore welcomed when the consultation opens, which we will provide an update about in the coming weeks.”