Defeat for village road campaigners (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Defeat for village road campaigners

A PROPOSAL to downgrade the A44 road from Troopers Lodge to Moreton to a B road has been shelved.

The decision by Gloucestershire County Council will come as a blow to campaigners in Bourton-on-the-Hill, who were hoping that the re-classification would cut the number of heavy lorries coming through the village.

County road traffic manager John Whittaker said yesterday that the proposal, which had been sent out for consultation last summer, would be reviewed in 2006.

"We haven't even got a consensus view that people want it," said Mr Whittaker.

"Some were vehemently for it and some were vehemently against it," he added.

Stow town councillors objected to the plan, which they feared would lead to an increase in the number of lorries coming through the town.

John Kennell, chairman of the town council's parking committee, said "We are pleased our voice has been heard. While we sympathise with Bourton-on-the-Hill as far as Stow is concerned enough is enough."

Mr Whittaker said that to be consistent the road would need to be reclassified from Troopers Lodge to Chipping Norton, which would involve three county councils - Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Oxfordshire - and the regional governments for the South West, South East and West Midlands.