According to the Campaign for Better Transport, the Government proposal to ease the difficulty of building business parks in close proximity to motorway intersections will create more congestion and major traffic jams, similar to those experienced on bank holidays.
The prominent green group has expressed fears that the creation of more business park developments will lead to an additional traffic build up. Motoring groups have voiced concern at the growing number of office parks close to heavy traffic routes. This concern has been heightened by a draft from the Government, the National Planning Policy Framework, which encourages office parks to be built in urban areas as opposed to city centres.
The Campaign for Better Transport has estimated that each new business park development will produce an excess of 8000 extra motor journeys a day. As an example of traffic build up, a journey from St. Albans, near junction 8 to junction 47, The Leeds turn off, could take almost an hour longer than the current time of 3½ hours because of traffic joining and exiting the motorway.
Research has shown the Government proposal could damage the economy, rather than assisting economic growth because of the increased congestion caused by these large office parks on main roads and motorways, according to the Chief Executive of the Campaign, Stephen Joseph. People do not want to be held up in a bank holiday type traffic jam twice a day while on their way to work.
New development must be encouraged but not at the expense of the already heavily burdened motorist. This was agreed by RAC Foundation Director, Stephen Glaister, who says problems already exist in the congested intersections and with the estimated increase of 9.5% in population growth, the situation would become worse.
AA spokesman, Andrew Howard has pointed out that local people will find it difficult to work in local businesses and this may increase junction congestion as they travel to their workplace. The Department for Communities and Local Government has defended the proposed plans, adding that only sustainable developments will be allowed and these groups will have to face up to reality.
