Relief road options under Liaison Group scrutiny
Possible options for an Iver relief road are being examined by theIver Members Liaison Group, a steering group ofparish, district and county councillors set up following last year’s traffic and transport study in the area.
Heavy goods vehicles – around 1,900 movements a day, says the study – are a long-standing bone of contention among residents of Iver, Iver Heath and Richings Park, who have maintained a consistent campaign to cut lorry numbers by building a relief road.
The Liaison Group has been examining the study’s findings, whichmeasured traffic flows, congestion locations and heavy goods vehicle pinch points, and is now considering three relief road ‘corridors’ providing five options – likely to cost between £15 million and £100m.
Liaison Group Chairman Paul Irwin, Buckinghamshire County Council’s Deputy Transport Cabinet Member, said the group’s focus was on relieving congestion through Iver, Iver Heath and Richings Park, and he was confident that an initial business case for relief road options could be worked up by early next year.
“I’m acutely aware of residents’ feelings about the volume of heavy goods traffic, and of the urgency of their call for a relief road,” said Paul. “While these solutions aren’t the kind that happen overnight, we’re working as speedily as possible to find the option that will be best for everyone.”
The Liaison Group is also looking at a sustainable travel aspiration for a cycleway and footpath from Pinewood Studios through Iver Heath and Iver village, past Iver station and Richings Park, and potentially onwards to Heathrow airport. Stage 1 of the project has funding so far of £500,000 from Pinewood Studios, and the group will be looking for developer contributions to pay for the whole scheme, which could cost £5m.