🚗 Stourport Relief Road Fund

• Stourport Relief Road Proposal: Mark Garnier, MP for Wyre Forest, discussed the long-standing proposal for a relief road in Stourport-on-Severn during an Adjournment debate. This road aims to alleviate congestion and improve connectivity, especially given the town’s role as a tourist destination and its challenging layout.

• River Severn’s Impact: Garnier highlighted the River Severn’s role in creating traffic bottlenecks in Worcestershire, with limited crossing points leading to congestion, particularly intensified by ongoing flood defence works in Bewdley.

• Historical Context: The relief road idea dates back several decades, with 14 proposals initially considered, including a popular option to build a bypass around Stourport. These plans were not pursued due to issues like planning blight affecting local facilities.

• Current Needs: The urgency for the relief road has increased due to planned construction of nearly 5,000 new homes in the Wyre Forest district, with a significant portion in Stourport, which will heighten traffic pressures.

• Development Pressures from Neighboring Areas: New housing developments in nearby regions, such as the Snipes near Stourport, are also set to impact the town’s traffic, as these are outside local control but will rely on Stourport’s facilities.

• Economic Growth: Garnier argued that infrastructure investments like the relief road are crucial for economic growth, as supported by an intervention from Jim Shannon, who drew parallels to his own constituency’s needs.

• Government’s Transport Investments: The Transport Minister, Lilian Greenwood, responded by outlining broader transport investments in Worcestershire, including upgrades to the A38 and A4440, aimed at improving road links and supporting new homes and job creation.

• Funding and Prioritization: The Minister clarified that local schemes like the Stourport relief road are for Worcestershire county council to prioritize in their transport plans, with the government providing support and guidance. She also mentioned increased funding for road maintenance across England, including Worcestershire.

• Next Steps: Garnier called for clarity on funding and the potential reallocation of HS2 money, and requested a timeline for the third road investment strategy to see if the relief road could be included. The Minister indicated that local authorities need to develop such plans to be considered for future funding.

• Closing Remarks: The debate concluded with the government acknowledging the importance of transport infrastructure and promising continued investment and engagement with local authorities on these issues.

The session displayed minimal disagreement among the participants. The debate primarily consisted of Mark Garnier, the Member for Wyre Forest, passionately advocating for the Stourport relief road and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Lilian Greenwood, responding with supportive comments on the general importance of transport infrastructure and the challenges faced in funding specific projects. The session was marked by a constructive dialogue without overt conflict or opposing viewpoints on the need for infrastructure development.

Examples include: - Jim Shannon, the Member for Strangford, supports the idea of a relief road similar to Mark Garnier’s proposal, and Garnier agrees with Shannon’s perspective. - Lilian Greenwood acknowledges the importance of the relief road and the congestion issues in Stourport, and affirms the government’s commitment to investing in transport infrastructure, even if she does not directly commit to the specific Stourport relief road project.

There were no instances of direct opposition to the proposals, and the conversation remained focused on the benefits of infrastructure development and the logistical considerations of funding and planning. Therefore, the disagreement level was very low, warranting a rating of 1.