Delegates from Rimrose Valley Friends met with Peter Dowd MP on Thursday 17th March to discuss Highways England’s assessment of the two road options to improve road access to the Port of Liverpool.

The purpose of the meeting was to establish Mr Dowd’s opinions and intentions of the best approach in dealing with the situation for the local communities who will be affected. Rimrose Valley Friends asked for the meeting whilst recognising that nothing would be achieved by asking Mr Dowd to choose a position between the A5036 enhancement option versus the option of a new road through Rimrose Valley, as both options will prove to some degree or other to be unwelcome and detrimental to many of his constituents in addition to being costly. The approach of Rimrose Valley Friends is endeavouring to secure Mr Dowd’s support in fighting against the entire concept of further road development.

Mr Dowd stated his position is as follows:

1. He is pushing to find out what local communities will gain economically from either road option because he acknowledges that presently there does not appear to be sufficient tangible information on the local, as opposed to regional or national, benefits gain to the local communities to enable him to give unqualified support to further road development to the Port of Liverpool, though he said that central government won’t necessarily see the local benefit or impact as being a block to any development given that the focus of this road enhancement initiative is to primarily to achieve regional and national, rather than local, gains.
2. To push for additional non-road alternatives, namely substantial rail freight, to be fully assessed. Mr Dowd is in the process of arranging to meet with Network Rail to further establish what more can be done to enhance the rail network instead of further road enhancements.
3. If a road through Rimrose Valley is subsequently announced Mr Dowd will support the communities of Rimrose Valley in ensuring full mitigation costs are considered for the maximum benefit of the communities.

Mr Dowd said that he’d be happy to attend any public meetings when required. At this stage, his view was to make sure that the development of a strong environmental mitigation case to run in parallel with any opposition to a road development should be a discussion point for the group.

The next public meeting of Rimrose Valley Friends to discuss the road threat will be held on Saturday, 2nd April 10am – 12 noon at SING PLUS Centre, Cambridge Road Seaforth, behind the Adult Education Centre. Click here for more details.  Mr Dowd’s attendance at this meeting has not been requested.