No new bypass for Newbury anytime soon

Council's head of highways tells motorists new road is "a long way off"

WEST Berkshire Council’s head of highways has told Newbury’s motorists not to expect a new bypass or new road to be built anytime soon.

There have been calls for a major overhaul of the town’s infrastructure to address the well-documented traffic problems.

With thousands more homes coming to Newbury over the next decade, questions are being asked as to whether the town’s road network can cope with the extra development.

However, last week the council’s head of highways, Mark Edwards, said any new road would be some time off.

Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News, he added:
“Unfortunately the reality is we are way down the pecking order when it comes to getting a new road.

“If we turned round to the Government now and said we need a new road they would probably laugh at us.

“I agree Newbury can be heavily congested in rush hour, but compared to other places it is not too bad throughout the day.

“To get funding from the Government we have to make a case that the traffic is bad all the time.

“New roads are expensive – they can cost anything from £10m to £20m – and we don’t have that money available. We are reliant on funding.

“In the meantime it is about making the best possible use of our existing infrastructure.”

Another suggestion has been to open up the new bridge from Hambridge Road to Newbury Racecourse – but Mr Edwards said that is also out of the question.

He said: “There is a planning condition in place to stop it being used as a through road.

“Even if the racecourse applied to have that condition removed, we would probably refuse it because we don’t want it to be used as a rat-run and clog up Stroud Green.”

Newbury’s motorists have been warned to brace themselves for a year of “traffic hell” while Boundary Road – one of the town’s busiest through routes – is closed for 12 months to allow Network Rail to replace the railway bridge ahead of electrification of the main line.

In addition, work on a new link road from the A339 into Faraday Road, which is part of a wider scheme to redevelop the London Road Industrial Estate, will get under way next week and last for 12 months.

“I know it’s frustrating for people when they are sat in queues and we do sympathise with them,” said Mr Edwards.

“There is going to be a lot of disruption but we are doing our best to minimise the impact.

“All of these works will improve the town once they are completed.”

Mr Edwards said the council had a programme of works that would see many of the town’s roads improved in the next few years.

As part of the mitigation for the 1,500 home Newbury Racecourse development, developer David Wilson Homes will pay for improvements to the A4 at Hambridge Road as well as Bear Lane.

In summer 2017, work is expected to begin to provide two right-hand-turn lanes from Hambridge Road on to the A4.

The slip road for traffic turning left from the A4 into Hambridge Road is also planned to be extended.