Labour “paid the price” claim Toll Bar campaigners

Campaigners in Grimsby have said a few councillors “paid the price” over plans for the Toll Bar Roundabout during last week’s local elections.

As reported, the new Conservative leaders of North East Lincolnshire Council called for an immediate halt to the plans, which would have seen the roundabout replaced with traffic lights, following their victory on Friday morning.

Roger Breed, from Toll Bar Roundabout Action Group 31-1-18, called the election an “astonishing 24 hours for the group”, who had on Thursday been discussing their next moves with the belief Labour would “scrape in”.

The Toll Bar roundabout. Photo: Google Street View

A planned demonstration on Friday instead became a victory celebration.

He told Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Jaines: “It has been a long campaign… but we stuck it out and a few people have paid the price over Toll Bar with, I believe, a few more to do so, but we will see.

“We will be folding the banners up and storing them away with the placards etc for now, hopefully never to be used again.”

However, he warned the group would not be disbanding – instead they would be “keeping a very close eye on developments”.

Philip Jackson, leader of the NEL Conservatives. Photo: Calvin Robinson

The £2.2 million plans to rip up Toll Bar roundabout near Grimsby and replace it with traffic lights have proved controversial in the past, with campaigners regularly turning up to meetings in a bid to prevent it.

More than 10,000 signatures have been handed in through a number of petitions to North East Lincolnshire Council, however, the previous administration said other options for the junction would not meet the authority’s time-frame or budget.

The Conservatives managed a four seat swing in North East Lincolnshire to take control on May 2.

It’s the first time in 23 years that the Tories have gained power on the authority.

North East Lincolnshire Council’s labour cabinet overruled protestors and forged ahead with the plans when they were in charge.

It saw the loss of former cabinet members David Bolton and Peter Wheatley, while former council leader Ray Oxby’s South ward seat also fell to UKIP.

Sheldon Mill, who was only elected onto his Freshney seat in a by-election in July, also failed to hold on for Labour.

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