Improve North Valley Road, don’t build bypass

In the supporting documents to the proposed massive expansion of the Boundary Mill operation on the opposite side of Whitewalls Drive, the company’s Traffic Consultants claim “the surrounding highway network can comfortably accommodate the proposed development without any adverse impact”.

By The Newsroom

Published 15th Jan 2014, 20:50 BST

TRAFFIC: North Valley Road in Colne.
Photo Ben Parsons — TRAFFIC: North Valley Road in Colne. Photo Ben Parsons

Clearly, therefore, these consultants do not believe there is any need for an expensive bypass.

It is obvious there is congestion on North Valley Road, and as a number of letters to your paper have suggested, improving this road is a better option, particularly since the majority of the traffic appears to have its destination in the area, rather than passing through it.

Obviously, huge retail developments like this, and the proposals for the Glen Mills site, will attract additional traffic, which must increase the congestion.

Therefore, if these developments are to be permitted to proceed, they should be conditional upon the developers making substantial financial contributions towards improving the flow of traffic along North Valley Road/Vivary Way.

Stuart Mitchell

Higherford