Calls for council to 'get on with the job' of improving busy route after investment secured

The windfall is set to boost routes for motorists, walkers, cyclists and bus users.

A large chunk of the funding has been earmarked for improvements to boost routes into Stafford and Cannock. At this month’s full county council meeting local representatives welcomed the investment, including Councillor Ann Edgeller, who spoke up last year about the state of the A34 south of the county town.

Speaking at this month’s meeting she said: “At the county council meeting on 21st July last year I raised the question of the poor state of the Radford Islands and A34 leading into Stafford from the south of town,saying it was a major gateway into Stafford. This is fantastic, good news, and I’m really pleased that the county council has now secured the money to do the work.

“I would like to thank everyone involved, especially Councillor David Williams and his team, securing this money to solve the terrible state of this road. We have the money – now please let’s get on with the job.”

Last year Councillor Edgeller said the Radford Bank Islands were Radford Bank “currently in a dreadful state and a danger especially to cyclist and motorbikes”. She added: “From the Radford Public House to the Queensville Island also needs immediate attention (and) I have raised this issue many many times previously and (it) is still waiting for attention.”

Speaking at the latest full council meeting David Williams, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “I’m especially happy about this award because it means Ann Edgeller won’t be constantly going on at me about her islands any more. It’s a real bonus that we will be able to utilise for our area – I think it’s going to address some of the issues, which means we can utilise some of our finances elsewhere.”

In his statement to the full council, the authority’s leader Alan White said more than £9m was set to be spent on work at either end of the A34 between Cannock and Stafford. He added: “The winning schemes will improve a number of major roads around the county, reduce journey times, put greener, cleaner buses on main roads, improve walking and cycling routes and reduce the impact of housing and commercial development.

“In Stafford there will be the creation and maintenance of walking and cycling routes along from Radford Bank to the town centre. In Cannock there will be walking and cycling routes to complement the planned town centre regeneration and link to the train station.”

Councillor Mike Sutherland said: “On behalf of all Cannock councillors, we’re delighted that the LUF transport funding has been secured by this county council and we will have the benefit of £9m of that £20m for improvements. It’s a small town with a small ring road but the artery into it is very big.

“We’ve got lots of little bits we need to do; our town is almost gridlocked. Beecroft roundabout on Avon Road has been a problem for many years – I have lived there since the 70s and it’s not really improved.

“The other thing that we’ve struggled with are footpaths getting in and out of the town because we put little bits of dual carriageway in but not appropriate pedestrian footpaths. It surprised me that we didn’t have cycling parking within the town centre.

“These are small things, pedestrian enhancements on the ring road into our main car park. We’ve also got two much-needed pedestrian crossings, traffic signal upgrade on the main Avon and Walsall roads and various bus stop improvements.

“They are small but they will make a massive change. And for me the active travel changes will help in the long term because people won’t walk where they can’t get across roads in a safe or easy way, so these will help tackle some of the long-term health challenges.”

But the council’s deputy leader Philip White said: “I think it would be very nice if our excellent officer who wrote this bid was able to devote all of her time to developing and delivering our connectivity strategy, rather than needing to bid for money to fund it. It would be much better if that money was in our core budget already.

“But that is the way the Government wants do deliver this funding at the present time and has done for quite a lot of years. It’s good we’re able to win these bids and it’s much-needed.

“The investment in the A34 is extremely important and fits with our strategy our key corridors. We push on all fronts for our key strategic road network, both for our economic development but also for the people who live in our county and use the roads every day.

“If these roads work well, people get to where they need to go on those roads. It’s good for us all if we get this major road network firing on all cylinders.”