October 23, 2018 4.52 pm This story is over 64 months old

Call for controversial Toll Bar roundabout decision to be delayed

He’s called for the petition to be debated in Full Council

The leader of the opposition on North East Lincolnshire Council has called on the authority to delay a decision on controversial plans for Toll Bar roundabout.

Senior councillors are expected to continue with original plans to replace the junction near Grimsby with traffic lights at a cost of £2.2 million.

It comes despite calls from campaigners that the move would cause “chaos” and be dangerous for school children.

However, officials at the authority said other options for the roundabout would not meet the scheme’s timeframe and budget.

Toll Bar Campaigners Anne and Peter Herring, Michael O’bee, David Cowell and Roger Breed. Photo: Daniel Jaines

Now, Councillor Philip Jackson has called on the council to defer the decision in order for an 8,000 signature petition to be debated.

In a letter to council leader Ray Oxby he said he was “amazed and disappointed” that the authority had not mentioned the petition submitted against the plans.

“According to council’s petition policy, a petition of this size should be debated by Full Council,” he said.

“In the interests of openness, transparency and good governance, please will you ask cabinet to defer any decision until the petition has been received and debated by Full Council.”

He added that the debate would not “significantly delay” the plans for Toll Bar.

The Toll Bar roundabout. Photo: Google Street View

In a report, officials at the authority said they had considered other options for the junction, including building a footbridge.

ENGIE, the council’s highways agent, assessed the plans but said they would not meet the scheme’s “road safety and capacity improvement objectives”.

These included:

  • Construction of a footbridge or underpass on the northern arm of the roundabout with no other improvements to the roundabout (Option 1).
  • Upgrading the A16 north and south junction arms to three lane entry alongside construction of a footbridge or underpass on the northern arm (Option 2)
  • Significant enlargement of the roundabout and adoption of three lane entry on all junction arms, part-time peak-hour signalisation, construction of footbridge or underpass and part-time, signalised pedestrian crossings on the three remaining junction arms (Option 3)
  • A fourth option incorporating all of the improvements proposed in Option 3 but with full time signalisation of the roundabout and pedestrian crossings. (Option 4).

The report said: “None of the additional footbridge/underpass options considered can meet all of the road safety and capacity improvement objectives for the scheme and be delivered within the available timeframe and budget.

“This report recommends that cabinet endorses the decisions of February 2017 and January 2018 to implement a signalised crossroads junction at Toll Bar.”

Officers have recommended that the original plans go ahead and a decision is set to be made by senior councillors on the cabinet on October 29.


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