Road Clippings '97Road Clippings '97Road could give town a breather (T&A 28/11/97)
Road pollution claims are hot air, say critics (T&A 1/12/97)
Beneficial road (T&A 15/12/97)
MP's vision of a leafy town centre (T&A 22/12/97)
New road 'would add to the pollution' (T&A 24/12/97)
By Sarah Walsh (T&A 28/11/97)
Poisonous emissions that make Bingley Main Street the most polluted corner of the Bradford district could halve if the Bingley relief road is built, according to new research.
Cancer causing substances like benzene and PM10 particulates will be cut by half if through traffic diverts to the new road, say environmental health officers.
The new evidence has been seized on by relief road campaigners who hope the Government will heed the health risk and unclog Bingley's choked streets by agreeing the £48 million scheme in the spring.
The new road would take half of Bingley's existing traffic, cutting carbon monoxide levels by 50 per cent in the town centre and also reducing levels of nitrogen dioxide- a respiratory irritant that worsens people's asthma.
The new study was carried out by environmental health officers at Bradford Council to strengthen the authority's case for the new road.
Experts produced detailed forecasts of the expected pollution levels using a mathematical model. They fed into the equation all kinds of data including current Bingley nitrogen dioxide readings, projections on future traffic levels from the Department of Transport and the expected increase in traffic through the Aire Valley likely to result from new roadbuilding.
They predict the 30,000 vehicles which use Main Street daily will remain about the same by the year 2000. But a relief road would cut the flow to only 7,000 per day.
The findings will be presented to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott by Shipley MP Chris Leslie who is meeting him next month to argue the case for the relief road.
"This study is the most powerful piece of evidence we have to present to ministers," Mr Leslie said. "This is a winning argument although the relief road needs to be completed for a variety of reasons.
Brian Anderson, of the environmental health department at Bradford Council, said Bingley Main Street was the worst traffic pollution blackspot in the Bradford district. "Bingley Main Street is within the top 20 per cent worst sites in the country and we have long regarded it as the worst in our district," he said.
Doctors- who dub the Aire Valley "Asthma Valley" - are concerned about a possible link between poor air quality and asthma.
"It is not uncommon for patients to write to me after leaving the area, stating that after moving away and in particular roadside dwellings, that their asthmatic condition has improved considerably," said Dr. Richard Lambert, of the Priestthorpe Medical Centre.
By Sarah Walsh, (T&A 1/12/97)
Sceptical anti-roads campaigners have cast doubt on claims that the Bingley relief road would reduce air pollution. Last week the Telegraph & Argus reported new findings from environmental health officers, showing the polluted atmosphere in Bingley Main Street - currently the Bradford district's worst blackspot - would improve drastically if the relief road goes ahead.
According to the new research, levels of the cancer-causing emissions benzene and PM1O particulates would be cut by half, along with carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide emissions (likely to exacerbate the conditions of the 1,000 registered asthmatics in Bingley) would also reduce.
The forecasts are based on figures showing that daily traffic movements in Main Street would fall from 30,000 to 7,000 if the relief road is built. The new evidence has been seized on by campaigners for the relief road who hope the Government will heed the health risk and unclog Bingley's choked streets by giving the go-ahead for the £48 million scheme in the spring. -
But a sceptical Tony Plumbe of the Bingley Environmental Transport Association (BETA), long-term critic of the relief road scheme, said: "Bingley might be relieved, but it would transfer the congestion to Saltaire and Shipley, where there's a bigger population living immediately adjacent to the road."
Environmental health officers admit the Bingley relief road would increase the amount of traffic through the Aire Valley, because motorists would use the new 'quick route' instead of taking minor roads over the tops.
But despite this increase, they say emissions will still reduce because the traffic will be flowing at 40 - 50 mph instead of grinding along through the clogged town centre. Emissions reach their lowest level at 45-48 mph.
Letters (T&A 15/12/97)
SIR - Like an ostrich with his head firmly stuck in a tunnel, Oliver Robinson of 'Ryeloaf Camp' refuses to see the overwhelmingly beneficial effect of a Bingley relief road (T&A Letters December 9).
The recent conclusive study produced by the Council's Environmental Health department showed that air quality would be significantly improved in Bingley town centre if we had the Relief Road.
Existing congestion spews out enormous pollution. The Relief Road would end the constant stop/start of vehicles and would see vehicles travel at their most emission efficient speed.
I have been working hard to promote the case in favour of the Bingley Relief Road in Parliament not only because it brings economic and road safety benefits, but also because it makes a positive improvement to the environment.
Instead of sitting in a field a long way from the traffic, Mr Robinson should try living, working and shopping next to the existing road.
I shall continue to argue that need for the A650 Relief Road on the basis of hard evidence and practical reality. Mr Robinson and his fellow "tree protesters" should discard their dog-eared new-age guesswork and think again about the Relief Road if they are really true environmentalists.
Christopher Leslie MP, House of Commons, London.
by Sarah Walsh (T&A 22/12/97)
Shipley MP Chris Leslie has taken the fight for the Bingley relief road to the top.
He met Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott this week to present a comprehensive case for building the road, on economic, environmental and road safety grounds.
The on-off road scheme, a £48 million dual carriageway, is being considered along with similar schemes up and down the country. The Government will announce which are going ahead next spring.
As well as figures illustrating the poor air quality in Main Street, Mr Leslie showed Mr Prescott an artist's impression of how the town's main shopping street could look with less traffic.
The vision for the future shows a leafy Main Street complete with cycle tracks, trees, buses and happy pedestrians - but few cars.
"I gave a comprehensive presentation, which highlighted the history of problems experienced in the town, the £23 million already spent by the taxpayer on advanced works, and the ways in which the scheme meets the Roads Review criteria as set out by the Government," he said.
"I feel glad that the arguments in favour of the Bingley relief road have now been heard at the highest level. Bingley residents can be assured that I will continue to make my views known in Parliament right up until the preliminary Roads Review announcement in spring next year."
Mr Leslie stressed the level of dereliction, decay and decline suffered in the town centre of Bingley because of congestion and blight, and highlighted the economic benefits for the Bradford district of a completed relief road.
He also showed Mr Prescott graphs depicting how air quality could be greatly improved by building the new road - although green critics of the scheme have challenged this.
"The new road would enable Bradford's integrated transport strategy to be implemented in Bingley which it can't at the moment because of congestion," added Mr Leslie.
"There could be bus promotion, improvements for cyclists and pedestrians, and park and ride."
Mr Prescott said: "I am grateful to Chris Leslie for putting the case for the Bingley relief road. All evidence and submissions will be taken into account and the scheme will now be considered as part of the Government's roads review. "
(T&A 24/12/97)
Pollution in Bingley would increase rather than fall if the Bingley relief road is built, say green protesters.
Last month the Telegraph & Argus reported on research by environmental health officers based at Shipley town hall. Those pollution figures - produced to aid MP Chris Leslie's presentation to ministers in his bid to get the road built claimed to demonstrate a 50 per cent reduction in some emissions in Bingley Main Street if the new road is built.
But anti-roads protesters say the new dual carriageway cutting through the town centre might lead to cleaner air in Main Street, but would cause worse pollution in other places including the playground of Bingley CE First School.