Green groups urge government to reject dual carriageway across the Broads
26 July 2004
Several of Britain's leading environment and transport groups have today written to Roads Minister David Jamieson calling on him to reject proposals to build a dual carriageway across the Broads, which would cause irreversible environmental damage.
Dualling of the A47 Acle Straight (1) was originally ruled out by consultants in 2001 following a study which found that this would have severely harmed the tranquillity, wildlife and beauty of the Broads landscape (2). However, Government Ministers requested further studies into both dualling and widening and Mr Jamieson will decide on the fate of the Acle Straight within weeks. This is seen as an acid test of the Government's commitment to protecting our most valuable environments (3).
The groups (4) have urged the Minister to choose local road safety improvements including signing and speed control measures instead of a highly damaging dual carriageway (5). These measures would help reduce accident rates, represent value for money and are relatively quick to implement, while a dual carriageway would cause huge environmental damage and cost the tax payer £24.7m.
The groups are also concerned that:
Dualling would fail the test of Government policy on major developments in National Parks (6);
Dualling would be contrary to government guidance and contravene legislation and regulations relating to protected landscapes and biodiversity. Measures for reducing the impact of the scheme are considered to be either unworkable or ineffective;
Local authorities and businesses have failed to produce any compelling evidence to support their claim that a dual carriageway is vital for the economy of Great Yarmouth (7);
Dualling could exacerbate social exclusion in Great Yarmouth (8).
Rachel Reeves, transport campaigner at the Council for National Parks said:
"The Government has conferred on the Broads the highest status in terms of its landscape and scenic beauty. Dualling of the Acle Straight would drive a coach and horses through the Government's policies on the protection of the Broads. If the Government is serious about protecting National Parks, the damaging dual carriageway option should be rejected once and for all".
Stephen Joseph, Executive Director of Transport 2000, who sat on the Government panel which considered the effect of transport schemes on economic development (9) said:
"Evidence from elsewhere suggests that dualling the Acle Straight could have the effect of undermining local business in Great Yarmouth and diverting development to Norwich. If Great Yarmouth is concerned about using transport for regeneration, it would be far more effective if the town concentrated on attracting employers by providing high quality public transport, walking and cycling networks and encouraging green travel plans. Such measures would also help the high number of residents without access to a car".
Notes to editors
1. The A47 Acle Straight is an 8 mile stretch of single carriageway road which runs from Acle to Great Yarmouth, cutting across the Halvergate Marshes of the Broads.
2. Norwich to Great Yarmouth Study (Maunsell and Oscar Faber, 2001).
3. PPG 7 states that the Broads has a status equal to that of a National Park (para 4.5). The southern and western part of Halvergate Marshes and Damgate Marshes is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Much of the marshland along the upland margin of Halvergate, together with Breydon Water is a Special Protection Area (SPA). SPA sites are of international importance for birds. Damgate Marshes SSSI is a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC). The southern part of Halvergate Marshes, Damgate Marshes and much of marshland along the upland margin are designated a Ramsar site. Breydon Water is also a Ramsar Site. Ramsar Sites are designated for their international importance for birds or other wetland communities. The Broads area is also a Conservation Area.
4. The Broads Society, CPRE (the Council for the Protection of Rural England) Norfolk, Council for National Parks, East of England Environment Forum (signed on behalf of the Non-Governmental Members), Friends of the Earth, the Ramblers' Association, RSPB Eastern England and Transport 2000.
5. Excluding the Halvergate junction, the accident record for Acle to Great Yarmouth stands around the national average for a single carriageway 'A' road. Speed plays a key part in accident rates on the Acle Straight and a package of proposals for a 50mph speed limit, supported by speed warning signs and cameras, would go a long way to reducing accidents.
6. Government policy on major developments in National Parks applies to transport developments. This states that major developments in National Parks must be subject to the most rigorous examination, should be demonstrated to be in the public interest and should not take place "save in exceptional circumstances" (Circular 12/96, PPG7).
7. For example, Norfolk County Council acknowledges the potential adverse impact that A47 dualling could have on travel patterns: "The levels of out commuting from Great Yarmouth could potentially be exacerbated with improvements such as the A47 dualling. These improvements will also give people the ability to live further away from their workplace and other facilities". (Great Yarmouth Area Transportation Strategy, Problems and Issues Report, Norfolk County Council, June 2004, p 27).
8. Thirty percent of households in Great Yarmouth do not have access to a car, rising to 47-60% in central wards and dualling could further marginalise socially excluded groups by encouraging development to locate around Norwich in preference to Great Yarmouth, making it more difficult for people without cars to access employment and other facilities.
9. "Transport and the Economy", Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1999.
Contact: Steve Hounsham, Transport 2000, 020 7613 0743 (ext 106), 07984 773468
Or Ruth Chambers, Council for National Parks, 020 7924 4077 (ext 222)
For press queries please contact:
Ruth Chambers, Head of Policy on
020 7924 4077 ext. 222