We had a look at the Tory County/District proposals for Newmarket’s Residents Parking Zones (RPZ) last night.  As the sole opposition member present.  I wanted  a RPZ to be last resort not first as seems to be the approach at present.

Everyone agrees that parts of Newmarket Town centre is becoming increasingly congested.  My approach is that we have to 1. Look at ways of reducing the number of cars coming into the Town Centre for long stay periods.  The park and shuttle in Newmarket is at present a joke.  There needs to be  site that is safe, secure and allows people waiting for what must be a frequent service comfortable from all the British weather can throw at them.   2. Give local residents much greater alternative transport options if they work elsewhere particularly larger service centre such as Cambridge, Bury or London.  By improving public transport frequency, reliability, links and comfort can  Town centre residents  feel that taking the bus and train to work is a real alternative to the car commute.  3. We must make it much more friendly for Townspeople to be able to walk or cycle to the town centre and secure for them to lock up bikes.  

The trajectory of ever increasing car usage in the town must be slowed or reversed if we are to avoid gridlock.  Only once the council has put into place these options, should RPZs which only allows a household one permit to park a car within their zone be considered an option.

Whilst I welcome the decison to bring forward the long awaited dual-ling of the Barton Mills to Elvedon stretch of the A11.  There are still no plans to make sure that we have a road fit for purpose  for the first half of the 21st Century.  Unless plans come forward for the upgrading of Fiveways then congestion will ensue, economic growth in the Mildenhall area will suffer and the local population consequently will lose out from any benefit from the scheme.

My big worry from what could ensue when Roundabout are left in major schemes only has to look at the Black Cat roundabout on the A1/A429 junction at Wyboston.  Another scheme that eases congestion in one place only to put it in another, far better if the Roundabout had been done away with when the Great Barford Bypass was built.  Anyone who is there at the wrong time of day is assured of a wait in traffic.

The Government has brought forward proposals for the long awaited dualling of the A11 between Barton Mills and Thetford. The proposal is to start work in 2010 on the final stretch to become dual carriageway between Norwich and London. There are currently no proposals to improve the Fiveways roundabout or any of the junctions south of it.
Local Lib Dem Councillor Tim Huggan has asked the Highways Agency to urgently consider proposals for the improvemnet of the roundabout and associated junctions. He needs your help if they are to take this matter up.
Tim Huggan said ‘ With a large Sainsbury’s likely in Mildenhall , increasing volumes of traffic as Norfolk is easier to reach from outside means that traffic volumes increase, gridlock will become more regular and more accidents will happen as local people try to cross the A11. This work needs to be done at the same time as the road is upgraded.