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A57 Link Road Project fails to consider sustainable transport options

17th December 2020

Proposals would not be the best solution to traffic problems on the A628T.

CPRE (South Yorkshire and Peak District, and Lancashire, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester) and Friends of the Earth issued a joint letter of opposition to Highways England concerning its plans for the A57 Link Roads Project.

We are supportive of finding a solution to the traffic conditions on the A628T road corridor between the M67 and the M1, but what is proposed is not a suitable solution.

Red line shows western section of proposed Mottram bypass dual carriageway where it would emerge from the underpass.

The proposals include a motorway-style road, with noisy and polluting traffic would spoil the countryside and landscapes around Mottram and people’s enjoyment of them and their wildlife. The dual and the single carriageways would be raised on embankments either side of the underpass and, with their traffic, would dominate the landscape, harm visual amenity in near and distant views.  Of note the new road if built would harm the Roman fort Melandra and the setting of listed buildings, distribute noise and air pollution widely, fragment habitats and impact negatively on wildlife.

No details are provided of the safety measures and improvements to be applied to the de-trunked section of the A57 and to Woolley Lane as these have yet to be agreed with Tameside Council.

Highways England is required under its licence (April 2015) paragraph 4.2g to ‘Minimise the environmental impacts of operating, maintaining and improving its network and seek to protect and enhance the quality of the surrounding environment’. We raised issues of climate emergency, increasing traffic and associated adverse impacts from increased greenhouse gas emissions, noise, air pollution and flood risks.

We trust this is a true consultation where Highways England will listen and amend its plans accordingly, so that the pressing issue of the climate emergency, and need for resilience, is responded to appropriately.

Download our objection letter here: 2020-12-16 CPRE & FoE letter to Highways England re A57 Link Roads

Eastern end of A628 trunk route in the Peak District National Park near Langsett

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