Safety concerns over proposed A45 layby loss in Coventry

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Safety concerns over proposed A45 layby loss in Coventry

Postby dutchman » Wed Mar 31, 2021 9:30 pm

A final decision is yet to be made

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A layby on part of the A45 in Coventry could be permanently lost, sparking safety concerns.

Coventry City Council’s planning committee agreed to the removal of an existing layby on the westbound carriageway, off Eastern Green, last June.

It formed plans for two new junctions off the A45, roundabouts, a flyover and access link road to support up to 3,141 homes on land at Eastern Green.

A condition was agreed by councillors for a replacement layby to mitigate the loss, however developers have now shelved plans stating “no suitable (safe), deliverable option exists”.

The altered plan has sparked 12 letters of objection from residents over safety concerns.

A consultation runs until April 1 however council planning officers have already rec ommended approval before it has closed – a move blasted as “undemocratic”.

Final decisions rest with the authority’s planning committee on Thursday, April 8.

One resident, Peter Maddock, said the need for the layby has been heightened by the fact plans for up to 2,400 homes on the Eastern Green Sustainable Urban Extension – plus 115 at nearby Pickford Green Lane – have been approved since the original A45 decision.

He said: “This is a substantial change to the original consideration. Councillors said they were concerned about the removal of the layby and imposed conditions to replace it.

“The consultation period ends on April 1 but they have issued their report prior to the consultation ending. I am not sure if it is legal but it is certainly not democratic.

“They are not giving people a chance to have their views known and it is another concern about the planning process.

“There is no layby provision all the way along the A45 until you get to this one so for lorries it is a big issue. Removing another layby is not going to improve it and drivers need somewhere to stop for safety reasons.”

A layby assessment by applicant Hallam Land Management considered five sites: three of which were ruled out on safety grounds; a fourth is partially on Solihull Council land who are said to “not support any such improvement proposals”; while a fifth is claimed to negatively impact the new housing development.

In a report ahead of the meeting, council planning officer Dean Leadon said Highways “concurred with the findings that all options with the exception of location 4 were not feasible”

He added: “The only other option available is to extend the layby westwards towards Meriden, this land is within the ownership of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and at the time of writing this report a response had not been received from them on this matter.”

Coventry city council did not respond to concerns raised over the consultation process.

You can view the plans here.

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