[T]his evening, John Stevenson MP will present a petition on behalf of over 5,000 residents to Parliament, calling on our country’s highest authorities to side with Carlisle residents against Cumbria County Council’s plans to add an extra lane along a section of Warwick Road.
The plans, which the Council will decide whether or not to go ahead with on Tuesday, would see a third lane built along the A69 from Tesco to Eastern Way. Residents in the area have continuously protested the proposal since its announcement.
John has supported the residents’ campaign since its beginning. Now, as the final vote in the City Council chamber takes place, he will call for the withdrawal of the proposals in the House of Commons chamber, demanding that Government ministers listen to the concerns of the 5,352 people who have signed the petition first set up by Warwick Road residents shortly after the proposed works were announced.
Speaking before his presentation in Parliament, John said: “This is not simply a small group of residents screaming ‘not in my back yard.’ This has been an organised, diligent, dedicated campaign backed by people from all over Carlisle and beyond, including myself. We want the Council to drop the proposals to build a third lane along Warwick Road because it will jeopardize the safety of local residents, impact on their quality of life and ruin one of the nicest entrances we have into our city.
“Not only this, but it is also unnecessary. These plans, which will cost the taxpayer a lot of money, will not bring to Carlisle any of the benefits stated by the County Council, and instead will simply bring misery to an area that, in light of the horrible impact of Storm Desmond, has quite frankly had more than enough to deal with recently.
“Tonight, I am going to Parliament and calling on the highest authorities in the land to urge Cumbria County Council to withdraw these proposals, save the taxpayers’ money and consign a poorly thought out plan to the bin.”
