Local MPs in Ministerial Talks

1.09.08pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 25th Jul 2007

Relief Road needed now!

The Government have now agreed to a request from local MPs Mark Hunter (Cheadle) and Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) for an urgent meeting to discuss the future of the proposed A555 Relief Road. The MPs wrote last month to the new Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly, following the Prime Minister's Cabinet re-shuffle, saying that a meeting was necessary in the light of further delays in the scheme recently announced by the Department of Transport. The MPs, along with Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield) and Ann Coffey (Stockport) are now to meet with the new Minister for Roads, Rosie Winterton on Thursday this week (26th July).

The Relief Road scheme, supported by all major political parties locally, is backed by Stockport MBC, Macclesfield Borough Council and Manchester City Council, as well as the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Manchester Airport. It was originally drawn up as an integral part of the South East Manchester Multi Modal Study (SEMMMS) to help resolve the chronic traffic congestion problems in the area.

Speaking in advance of the meeting Mark Hunter said, "With every passing day the desperate need for this Relief Road becomes more and more apparent. Far too many of our residential roads, right across the area, are choked with traffic volumes they were never expected to have to take. I am pleased the new Minister has agreed to meet with us this week, and local residents can be assured we will leave no stone un-turned in our determination to make the case for this much needed scheme to be completed as soon as possible".

Andrew Stunell added "Local people have had to wait for far too long already, further delays would be totally unacceptable - this Relief Road should have completed years ago and people are understandably angry at the repeated delays. The first part of the scheme was finished so long ago the Tories were still in Government at the time - but successive Conservative and Labour Government's have subsequently failed to complete the task. Mark Hunter and I are committed to doing everything we can to keep up the pressure on this hugely important issue".