Further calls have been made to remove the A145 from Beccles’ historic town centre and divert heavy traffic along the new relief road.
Last month concerns were raised about the effectiveness of the Beccles Southern Relief Road, which is due to open this summer, following the news that it will be labelled a B-road instead of an A-road.
The £7m scheme has long been campaigned for to remove heavy traffic from the centre of Beccles, however Elfrede Brambley-Crawshaw, a town and county councillor for Beccles, raised concerns that lorry drivers who rely on sat navs and road signs will still continue to be routed through the town.
Now a new residents’ group has been formed - the Beccles Road Safety Group - to lobby Suffolk County Council to re-route the A145 out of the town centre onto the new relief road.
And at a meeting of Beccles Town Council this week, councillors unanimously agreed to endorse the group’s proposal.
Group member Adrian Simpson-James said: “We are delighted with the support from the town council and also the overwhelming support we are getting from residents of Beccles. Our posters are now starting to appear all along the current alignment of the A145 through the town.”
Work started on the 2km relief road in August 2017, and it will connect the A145 London Road to Ellough Road.
Mark Bee, Waveney District Council leader and county councillor for Beccles, has also joined the campaign.
He said: “I have asked the Highways project manager at Suffolk County Council to examine the feasibility of renaming the Beccles Southern Relief Road, to become the A145, make the existing A-road in to a B-road and move the route for this along the whole length of the relief road until it meets the A146 at North Cove. This will signal the importance of the new road moving heavy traffic away from the town centre.
“There will also need to be a full traffic survey to ensure that the full benefit of the road is realised with appropriate weight restrictions in place and direction of traffic organised with careful planning.
“The new road will not only take traffic away from the centre of Beccles but also help with the economic development at Ellough and the whole Waveney area. It is important that the full benefit of this road is realised.”
A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said that while the road will not be the A145, it will be signed to guide traffic along the route, reducing journey times and taking traffic out of the centre of Beccles.
To find out more about the Beccles Road Safety Group, follow them on Facebook or email becclesroadsafety@gmail.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here