Lake District road decision slammed

29 October 2003 

Leading environmental organisations1 have condemned today's decision by the Transport Secretary to accept a damaging road building scheme in the Lake District2.  The Government's commitment to National Park protection has been seriously undermined because of the damage that will be done to the landscape, tranquillity and wildlife of the National Park and to people's enjoyment of it.

CNP's3 Head of Policy Ruth Chambers said: "The Government has broken its own rules for road building in National Parks, which is that schemes should meet a national need and be without alternative.  Concerns about safety and the economy could have been addressed by other means such as strict enforcement of the 40mph speed limit and increasing local rail freight capacity.  These alternatives should have been given a fair crack before allowing damaging road building in a National Park."

Friends of the Lake District4 Policy Officer Jack Ellerby said: "We are utterly appalled by the Government's decision to support this bypass.  The Government has effectively relegated the Lake District's landscape to the dustbin.  Proponents of this bypass on economic grounds see it as a precursor to full dualling of the entire A590 through the Lake District.  Where will the Government draw the line?"

The decision has also been greeted with dismay by CNP Vice President and Labour Peer Lord Judd who said today: "this is very disappointing news.  Of course the needs of the local community matter but nobody can pretend that other ways of dealing with the situation have been convincingly tried".

"My conviction is that a Labour government of all governments must remember its historic duty as a trustee of this national asset".

Ruth Chambers concluded: "this is the first major road building scheme to be given the go ahead in a National Park for over 20 years and seriously undermines the Government's commitment to National Park protection".

For press queries please contact:
Ruth Chambers, Head of Policy on
020 7924 4077 ext. 222