CONVERSATIVE CONCERN OVER A303 DUALLING DELAY (06/06/02)

At the County Council meeting held on 29th May, Conservative County Councillor for Castle Cary Division, Bob Little, expressed concern at the timescale proposed for the dualling and improvements to the Sparkford - Ilchester section of the A303.

The recently published SWARMMS Report suggests that this work will not be carried out until some time between 2011 and 2016.

Mr Little, whose Division includes the parishes of Sparkford, West Camel and Queen Camel, reminded the meeting that various orders have been in place since 1995 for the dualling of the Podimore to Sparkford section and that this stretch of road is notorious for the large incidence of serious traffic accidents.

In response to his questions, it was confirmed that improvements to the Sparkford - Ilchester section of the A303 remains the County Council's top priority and that the County Council will make representations to bring forward its implementation at the Regional Assembly Hearing on the SWARMMS Report .

Mr Bob Little commented, ‘I appreciate that other stretches of the A303 need to be dualled as well as the Sparkford to Podimore section, but I do not think they have such a bad accident record. To wait another 10 years at least for dualling may well mean that we will look back on a catalogue of accidents which could have been prevented. This is a prospect which I am unable to accept.'