Be honest with Sudbury on the chance of a bypass.

7.10.00pm GMT Thu 11th Dec 2008

Lib Dem Local Councillor and Parliamentary Campaigner Nigel Bennett is demanding Suffolk County Council reveal what work they have done towards a western bypass/relief road as East of England Regional Assembly information shows that Sudbury's bypass is 1 of 10 schemes in Suffolk bidding for funding between 2013/14 and 2018/19 and these 10 schemes are part of 65 schemes across the East of England.

To make matters worse 35 schemes equalling £900 million are chasing only £80 million of funding till 2014. Any that fail will go in with the other 65 schemes, making nearly 100 schemes bidding for just £½ billion. Sudbury will face some severe competition for funding.

At the same time, traffic management is needed to help get the scheme and also if we do not.

"Suffolk County Council is being disingenuous. Every time they tell us that they support a bypass for Sudbury but they do this to every community needing one. Meanwhile they know

full well the odds are stacked against us due to the amount of funding." Said Nigel Bennett

" The Labour Government does need to add more funding as infrastructure for proposed housing growth is vital but the blame cannot solely be laid at their door. The Conservatives at Suffolk have done little in terms of traffic management in Sudbury over the last 4 years. If anything, the few proposed schemes for example Cross St and Belle Vue junction are still incomplete or scaled back." he added.

"If Suffolk believe that there is little chance of a bypass in the next 10 years and that Sudbury truly has a traffic problem (that is why it put it on the list of bids) then what are the intentions, the schemes to minimise further traffic growth, to reduce congestion, encourage use of other forms of transport and deal with damage to our built environment from HGV's and vehicles?" said Nigel Bennett.

He finally added, "the Government when it last turned down the bypass, told Suffolk to try significant traffic management first before coming back. It would be inexcusable if the bypass bid failed because Suffolk County Council had made no progress on this front."