Villagers in the path of a bypass proposed for Lincoln are taking their campaign against the county council scheme to local government watchdogs.
The group, the Waddington Against the Southern Bypass Option, will accuse ~Lincolnshire County Council~ of bias in its evaluation of the alternative routes, and wasting money. The complaint will go to the district auditor within two weeks. Similar allegations of council mishandling will be put to the local government ombudsman.
‘Lincolnshire council acted irresponsibly by going to public consultation on a route, knowing it was unlikely it would get funding,’ said George Milton of WASBO.
The four-lane southern bypass would form part of an orbital route around the city, with existing northern and western sections. The eastern segment has planning permission, but will not go forward for funding until 2011 or 2016, subject to regional priorities. WASBO claims a route slicing its community in two was ‘pre-determined’ for the southern bypass. The council failed to consider seriously a longer alternative around the village.
The villagers’ preferred route would cost at least £28M more – at £72M – excluding optimism bias, and would attract only half the traffic of the other two, said John Wilde, senior project leader. ‘It’s unlikely the Government would support the scheme when there’s a better option.’ The council will consider further feasibility assessments before determining the route early next year.
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