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TYNE CROSSINGS ALLIANCE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PROFESSOR ASKS WHAT IS "NATURAL" AT THE TYNE TUNNEL INQUIRY
At the Inquiry into the proposed second Tyne road tunnel today, Howard Elcock, Professor of Government at Northumbria University, asked the question 'What is "natural" about traffic growth, today?'. He was speaking on behalf of CPRE [4] which is one of many residents' and environmental groups opposing the construction of a second tunnel.
Professor Elcock said:
"The PTA speaks in their first volume of their evidence, of “natural” traffic growth. No traffic growth is natural; it is stimulated by the location or mislocation of developments and facilities that attract it, including extra road space. What we equally need to do as a matter of policy is to encourage people to use their cars in a more discriminating fashion. We cannot expect to stop people buying cars, nor should we seek to do so, but we must persuade and induce them to minimise the social and environmental costs incurred by the way they use them. The Mayor of London has successfully found one way to do this".
Past policy statements have been called in evidence to support this [tunnel] proposal, including the 1979 Tyne and Wear Structure Plan. However, both public attitudes to transport and public policies relating to it have changed radically since then. Let me remind you that during the 1970s the Greater London Council’s Development Plan proposed the construction of three concentric motorway rings around London. Thankfully, only one of them was built - the M25 - and this has turned into an unmitigated disaster for London and the South-East. From this lesson we should learn".
Bryan Atkinson of South Tyneside Friends of the Earth raised the impact of increased tunnel traffic on the rest of the region. He also raised questions as to the proposed funding of the project
Bryan Atkinson said:
"The New Tyne Crossing is being sold to the public as beneficial to the North East economy. This ignores the probability that the concessionaire will siphon money out of the North East economy. [Also] an economy that is over dependent on road transport is a vulnerable economy".
Many objectors have yet to speak at the Inquiry including The Pedestrians' Association, the North East Green Party, the Tyne Crossings Alliance, Tyne Bikes, and many individuals and representatives of local residents.
END
EDITORS' NOTES
1) The second Tyne road tunnel is promoted by the PTA and is currently the subject of a Public Inquiry at Jarrow Community Centre. Details of the Inquiry may be obtained from the Inquiry Website: www.newtynecrossing.info
2) The latest timetable for the Inquiry may be obtained from Mr Ian Stearman, Inquiry Programme Officer, on (0191) 489 0732, during working hours. A timetable (which will require updating as the Inquiry proceeds) appears on the Inquiry Website (see (1) above). Mr Stearman's e-mail address is: ian.stearman@newcastle.gov.uk
3) The Prospective Health Impact Assessment of the new Tyne road tunnel proposal may be available from the Programme Officer and can be downloaded (a large document) from:
http://www.tyne-crossings.org/downloads.htm
4) The Tyne Crossings Alliance consists of: CPRE (Council for the Protection of Rural England), Friends of the Earth (FOE), Living Streets, North East Railway Development Society (railfuture NE), Roadpeace, The Green Party, Transport 2000, Tynebikes.
5) For further information on the campaign to stop the second Tyne road tunnel see the Tyne Crossings Alliance website:
www.tyne-crossings.org
Contacts: Nic Best: (01670) 517915
Paul Winch: (0191) 483 5619
info@tyne-crossings.org
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