Hundreds sign petition against new Grimsby relief road
Campaigners fear the project would damage the environment and quality of life in the area
Last updated 16th Jul 2021
Hundreds of people have backed a petition calling for the Grimsby Western Relief Road project to be scrapped.
Plans would see the road run between the A46 near Morrisons roundabout and the A1136 junction on the A180, making room to for thousands of new homes to the western side of town.
Last month North East Lincolnshire Council submitted a funding bid for the road to the government which, if successful, would allow the road to be built between 2022 and 2025.
However local campaigners have raised fears about the damage the project would do to the environment in the Freshney Valley, and are worried about the impact of extra traffic and air pollution.
A petition opposing the development has so far attracted over 1600 signatures.
Organiser Emma Rush wrote:
"We owe it to our future generations to preserve the green spaces and natural habitats we have in North East Lincolnshire.
"They are important not only for being natural landscape for us to enjoy the tranquillity but provide important habitats for a range of wildlife."
"Residents do not feel North East Lincolnshire Council sufficiently engaged with the community over these developments at the time of the Local Plan"
"....nor do residents feel that NELC has considered the environmental importance of this valley to the existing communities; the use of the green space and how it helps with mental and physical well being, and the natural landscape including a chalk stream and the wildlife that inhabits this area."
Campaigners want the road moved, or scrapped entirely and for green spaces in the Freshney Valley to be protected.
They're also calling for a reduction in the number of houses planned for the west side of town.
The council insists it will listen to the concern of local residents, and has pledged to hold a consultation before the project moves forward.
After plans were approved last month, Cllr Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said,
“This is a really key project for our area, building on the work done in the last few years to make conditions right for companies to invest in our area through the South Humber Industrial Investment Project.
"Along with the proposals for a housing development as part of the Local Plan, we see this as a scheme that will help local people access new and existing jobs in the area.”