[11
APR 00] COVENTRY CITY COUNCIL NEWS
Minister To Hear Crossing Fears
BY ANTONY HOPKER
Campaigners
fighting plans to close two level crossings in Coventry were today
voicing their concerns to a government minister.
Councillors
and members of the Bridge Action Group are airing their views to
Transport Minister Keith Hill in a special meeting in London.
They
are to call for Railtrack’s plans to close the level crossings at
Canley and Tile Hill stations as part of a £2 billion upgrade for the
West Coast to be thrown out.
Residents
who formed the Bridge Action Group last year say Railtrack have not
properly consulted them over plans to build a flyover in place of the
current crossing in Cromwell Lane, Tile Hill. The road at Canley
station is to be closed and a footbridge will be built.
And
Coventry City Council has registered its objection to the plans
because there is uncertainty over the wide-reaching traffic
implications.
Railtrack
have admitted that the roads near the crossing will get busier if a
bridge is built.
They
say the gates must be removed because the “downtime” on the
barriers would be increased by modernisation to the track allowing a
greater amount of trains to run.
 Cllr
John Mason (Labour, Woodlands) said the impact on traffic would have
an impact on a much wider area than the roads near the proposed
bridge.
He
said:
“The
traffic that will be using the bridge has to come from somewhere and
Railtrack have not provided any details about that.
“It
could end up being like ‘malfunction junction’ at Sainsbury’s
on the A45.
“Because
lorries cannot turn right into Tile Hill Lane they are going into
Broad Lane and then cutting through roads that weren’t even
considered when the junction was changed.
“I
don’t think Railtrack has given any thought to this at all.”
“We
are going to tell the minister that the plans cannot be allowed to
go ahead because of the impact there would be on the wider area.”
SEE: [28 MAR 00]
RAILTRACK
RAPPED OVER LEVEL CROSSING PLANS
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