Rimrose Valley Bypass Project Cancelled in Budget

The proposed £250 million bypass, intended to traverse a country park in Merseyside, has been cancelled as part of the latest budget. This plan, which involved constructing a dual carriageway through Rimrose Valley Country Park in south Sefton, was initially unveiled in 2017 with the aim of enhancing connectivity to the Port of Liverpool. According to budget documents made public today, the Transport Secretary stated that the A5036 Princess Way scheme would not move forward, citing reasons that it was “unfunded and unaffordable”. Peter Dowd, the Labour MP for Bootle, whose electoral district encompasses the port, commented: “Rimrose Valley is a green lung for my constituents and the last thing we wanted was a road to be built through it.” He further stated: “We now have to ensure that the work to develop a long term, environmentally sustainable alternative continues.” National Highways had sought to construct this new road to alleviate traffic congestion in Litherland along the A5036, specifically between the Switch Island Interchange and Princess Way. The A5036 Port of Liverpool Access Scheme had been incorporated into the prior government’s Roads Investment Strategy 2020-2025. However, its implementation was delayed in 2023, attributed to “environmental challenges and ongoing design changes,” alongside escalating expenses. Numerous local residents had voiced their opposition to the proposed bypass plans through protests. Stuart Bennett, representing the Save Rimrose Valley campaign, expressed that the campaigners felt justified by this announcement. He further remarked: “This is a piece of countryside in our community. It’s a haven for wildlife and if we lost it, it would be a dark day for south Sefton.” He concluded: “This road was being built with one customer in mind – the port. Freight needs to come off the roads and onto the rails.” The Port of Liverpool has been approached for a statement. For more content, listeners can access the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story suggestions can also be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and through Whatsapp at 0808 100 2230. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.