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Western Orbital: No WOM No Way

Final nail in the coffin of the Western Orbital- 9th July 2003
West Midlands Friends of the Earth welcomed the announcement from the Secretary of State for Transport Alistair Darling to drop the road developments to the West of the Conurbation once and for all and to defer the widening of the M42 until we have seen progress on the Active Traffic Management system plans for that corridor.

We also welcomed the emphasis from Mr Darling on dealing with the problems where they arise; within the conurbation. It is essential that we invest in the alternatives within the conurbation so that the car is not the automatic choice for every journey. The announcement of a feasibility study on nationwide variable road user charging is also very welcome.

Chris Crean from West Midlands Friends of the Earth said:

"This is indeed an historic day within the region as we are at the beginning of a step change in how we get around. We desperately need to invest in mass transit systems within the conurbation for all whether they be a car owner or not. The introduction of variable charging systems will be of benefit to those in rural areas where cheaper charges can be levied where there are no public transport alternatives. It is now up to all of us within the region who care about quality of life for all to get on with the job of delivering top class public transport and stop demanding more and more of our precious countryside be covered in tarmac and asphalt."

West Midlands Friends of the Earth also welcomes the announcement of an extra £1billion investment for the region in addition to the money already allocated in the West Midlands Local Transport Plan. This money is to be spent on building up the local transport network within the region.

History
The Western Orbital Motorway has been on the agenda of West Midlands roads builders since the planners got their maps, pens and bits of string out in the late forties. Just like the M42 and the Birmingham Northern Relief Road, the desire to complete a West Midlands Orbital or M25-style Motorway ring road has been slow in gestation. Indeed, while the BNRR (or M6 Toll as it is now to be known) was heading towards the longest Public Inquiry into a road the UK has ever seen, the Western Orbital Motorway was not attracting financial backers and was dropped from the National Roads programme.

This was a great victory for environmentalists and was duly celebrated by people, communities and campaigners along the 33 mile greenbelt route and residents of the conurbation alike. That was in the heady days of the late nineties when the anti- road movement was at its height and roads were being dropped all over the country and no minister would be seen dead at a road opening ceremony.

The WOM is back
However, we are in a new millennium and the road builders are back with a vengeance. This, combined by the fallout of a botched rail privatisation and Labour's failure to get to grips with the rail portfolio, has led to the re-emergence of the roads programme and the WOM is back on the agenda. The road builders will say they are not planning a WOM; so successful have our campaigns been that the words "Western Orbital Motorway" sends them red with rage. They know that the campaigners have all the arguments and skills that are needed to defeat the WOM. We have done it before and we will do it again.

Briefings and other documents

• Western Orbital Briefing Sheet (Nov 2000)
• Why the Western Bypasses wouldn't benefit the West Midlands (March 2003)
• Six Reasons why the Western Bypass should not go ahead (March 2003)
• Western Orbital Motorway Briefing Sheet ( also available as rtf ) (30th Nov 2001)
• The proposed link road to the Black Country threatens urban green space and wildlife sites ( also available as rtf ) (20th Dec 2001)

• The Government Office for the West Midlands has copies of the Draft Regional Planning Guidance and the West Midlands Area Multi-Modal [Transport] Study.
• Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (West Midlands Region) - look under "Transport"
• Urban Wildlife Trust

This page last updated: 9th July 2003