TOWNSPEOPLE are being asked for their views on tackling Stratford’s traffic-choked streets.
Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet has endorsed the contents of the draft Stratford-upon-Avon Area Transport Strategy and will now consult the public on its contents.
The strategy has been prepared jointly by the county council and Stratford District Council. It proposes a range of measures to ease congestion, reduce traffic in the town centre, improve air quality, protect the historic core of the town and improve the opportunities for travel by public transport, by cycle and on foot.
Approaches proposed include relief roads to the south and west of Stratford to link the A46 at Wildmoor with the B439 Evesham Road; a new relief road to the east of the town to route through traffic away from Clopton Bridge; revising town centre streets to reduce traffic and improve the environment for pedestrians; focusing long stay parking out of the town centre and developing the provision of park and ride; improving facilities for walking and cycling; improving rail and road connections with key locations, such as proposals to upgrade the A46 between the M40 and M5, and improving links between Stratford and the proposed HS2 interchange and wider Midlands.
The public consultation will be launched at a fourth Stratford Traffic Summit hosted by MP Nadhim Zahawi at Stratford ArtsHouse on Thursday February 9, starting at 6.15pm.
Mr Zahawi said: “I am pleased that Warwickshire County Council and Stratford District Council have now prepared a draft transport strategy as a consequence of the series of traffic summits I initiated due to high numbers of complaints from constituents regarding congestion in and around Stratford.
“I look forward to discussing the draft strategy further with county and district councillors and to seeing real action being delivered on traffic in our town instead of the piecemeal solutions we have become accustomed to.”
Previous traffic summits have identified the need to relieve traffic congestion on the Birmingham Road and explore opportunities for a relief road/ third river crossing as priorities for action.
District council spokesman Coun Robert Vaudry said: “Our shared vision is for Stratford to be a better place to live, work and visit.
“Our proposals to improve the transport system in Stratford are wide-ranging and I encourage people to give their views on the ideas.”
County transport spokesman Coun Peter Butlin added the consultation was an important part of the process of developing the strategy.
He said: “Our aim is to have a cohesive strategy that is supported by the town’s residents and businesses and it is important that the people who live and work in Stratford and who rely on the town’s transport system have their say. Once we have an agreed strategy we will then be able to develop the detailed plans for delivering the ideas contained in the strategy.”
People will be able to have their say at the meeting and will also be able to view the transport strategy and comment on the contents by visiting Ask Warwickshire (https://askwarks.wordpress.com/) from February 10. The consultation will run until March 23.
