Bypass route queried

A bypass for Southwell will be considered by Nottinghamshire County Council in 2011 as part of the local transport plan.

The plans are on a wish-list of projects drawn up by the council for Government money.

The bypass is expected to be among the projects submitted to the Government for consideration as part of the third phase of a local transport plan.

The plan works in five-year cycles and the council is working in its second phase.

Southwell’s county councillor, Mr Bruce Laughton, said it was important for local councillors to be aware of the plan when considering proposals for development to the south of the town.

Plans have been submitted to Newark and Sherwood District Council by Land And Development Consultants of Lincoln to build up to 750 houses, a hotel and community centre on farmland south of the Minster School site.

The application, submitted on behalf of the landowner, also includes up to a third of a bypass from the A612 Nottingham Road.

Southwell Town Council will discuss the plans on Wednesday.

Mr Laughton said: “The developer has put forward their proposals but the county council has not decided quite what the route should be. The developer has decided what the route should be.

“As far as the county council is concerned, there has been no public consultation as to what the people of Southwell want, or if they even want a bypass.

“In my view you have to go down a consultation route.”

Mr Laughton said although there should be more community consultation, if a private developer put forward money for part of the bypass it was more likely the project would be approved.

The managing director of Land And Development Consultants, Mr Stephen Brown, said the chosen route was designed to allow room for the housing development.

He said: “If highways say the road will have to take a shorter route it will fall down because there will be no private funding.

“The development work will result in a different route but it gives you the bypass with less cost to the public purse.”

A county council spokesman said the bypass was on a wish-list and had yet to be put forward for funding.

She said the council had not seen the plans drawn up by the developer but they would monitor the situation.

The spokesman said the earliest the project would be considered was 2011.