Revealed: Plans to open up Coventry road running next to primary schoolControversial plans to close Coundon Road have been scrapped under the council’s new pollution-busting plan - with a new ‘direct link’ to the ring road instead proposed.
Coventry City Council has made two significant changes to its Local Air Quality Action Plan, it can be revealed, which aim to avoid a government-imposed Clean Air Zone on the city.
As well as new traffic modelling, it also includes the removal of plans to close Coundon Road at the level crossing – a move which initially sparked a 3,539 petition from residents fearing it would have a knock-on effect on other roads.
Instead, the council has proposed to open up Upper Hill Street to create a direct link onto the ring road, helping more cars to avoid Coventry’s most polluting street, Holyhead Road.
St Osburg's Primary School sits on Upper Hill Street near to the Ring Road.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “One thing we have proposed is to open up Upper Hill Street up to the ring road.
“When people come down Coundon Road they go down Barras Lane.
“A straight road to the ring road would free up Holyhead Road and keep traffic moving. That is one important aspect of the change.
“It [closing Coundon Road] was one of the possible changes but it was not the be all and end all.
“It was designed to support the idea of helping Holyhead Road but we do not need to do that if we opened up Upper Hill Street so we think that is a better solution.
“It is about moving traffic and keeping it flowing. If you keep it flowing the emissions are less.”