Transport Strategy for Pontefract...is the Walsh Hat in Danger?

Attended a meeting last night held at the Kings School in Pontefract by SELRAG (South East Link Road Action Group)about 65 members of the public, the key SELRAG officers and several local councillors and our two candidates for Pontefract North and South, Phil Thomas and Mark Crowther.

As public meetings go it was quite straightforward, unanimous concern about traffic congestion, pollution and safety at Town End and the desire to see this situation put right.

I attended a similar meeting in 2006 just before the local election where I was elected by the people of Pontefract South. The issue at that time was that proposals for improving Pontefracts situation was blocked at a regional level because the WMDC officers had not been able to make the case that this was a priority and Pontefract did not appear on the WMDC list as such.

What government funding that was available went to priority cases and we were told that the next opportunity for inclusion of Pontefract on the regional plan would be in 2010.

Well 2010 looms and I am concerned to discover that Pontefract still does not appear to be placed on a priority list and as such we could find that we miss this new deadline. As someone commented WMDC planners seem able to draw road lines on an east west basis but do not appear to have any north south pencils.

I have commented in other posts about the lack of a transport strategy for Pontefract and it will only be when we can instruct officers to treat this as a priority do I feel that we may see some progress.

Unfortunately the traffic chaos grows and my hat is still safe. Lets see what the local elections bring and see if that gets the controlling groups attention.