A46 by-pass proposals

Oct 2020

Leicester A46 Expressway bypass plan dropped

The Leicester Mercury reports that the road was to be dropped from the Midland's long term transport plans after officials reached the conclusion it would cost too much - and wouldn't solve the traffic problems as well as they'd hoped.

Instead, focus is now being placed on plans to upgrade junctions at either end of the A46 Western bypass at the M1 and the Hobby Horse roundabout at Syston, which would not set the taxpayer back as much as the new expressway after officials reached the conclusion it would cost too much - and wouldn't solve the traffic problems as well as they'd hoped.

The SGP will now have to be rewritten and the issue of where all the extra houses are going to be built will have to be addressed anew, which may raise some additional problems for some communities said the Chair of the South East Leicestershire Action Group (SELAG).

March 2020

New bypass proposal could put dual carriageway on the Rothley Brook corridor between Ratby and Kirby Muxloe

Twelve months ago GrobyOnline reported on the Leicestershire Strategic Growth Plan proposal to build a new A46 bypass (the Expressway) to the south and east of Leicester.(Scroll down to read.) It would link the M1 to the A46 north of Thurmaston, provide an alternative to the existing A46 Western Bypass, and open up development opportunities for housing and commerce on the south of Leicester.

Some argue that the new road might help Groby residents by taking the pressure off the existing bypass. In a survey of 250 companies close to the A46 in Leicestershire nearly half of them said current traffic conditions negatively impacted their businesses. Three quarters of those firms said traffic had got worse in the last five years and nearly 20 per cent were considering relocating because of the snarled up A46.

When residents in South Leicestershire were interviewed on television about the Expressway plan one said that it wasn't needed, adding that we already have a perfectly good A46 Western Bypass which could be widened to six lanes. The Spotlight article suggested that no doubt Groby residents would disagree, along with those in Glenfield, Anstey, and Birstall, but added that his view may well be shared by many others in South Leicester and it would be no surprise to see Parish Councils in the south objecting to the scheme.

Alternative plan suggested

A year on and those opposed to the plan have developed their response. Groby residents didn't want the Western Bypass on their doorsteps and it's understandable that South Leicestershire residents have voiced their opposition to the proposed Expressway. Very few welcome new roads and development.

What has come as a surprise, however, is that they haven't stopped at opposing the plan. They have suggested an alternative which, at best, can be described as a Junction 21 Bypass. This would run north from the M69, to the east of Desford and pass under the M1 to the Western Bypass somewhere near Junction 21A. The new dual carriageway would pass through the Rothley Brook corridor, the remaining small area of green landscape separating Kirby Muxloe and Ratby. This would improve traffic flows at Junction 21 but would do nothing to alleviate the congestion and pollution on the Western Bypass at Groby.

The promoters of the alternative route, the Willoughby Waterleys Residents Association, say that highway improvements would most likely be required to the Hobby Horse roundabout and the A46 Western Bypass (referred to as the Northern Bypass), though these are not described. The new road would create a new 'island' between this new bypass and the M1 and the Association says that it “would capture an area between it and the existing Principal Urban Area and New Lubbesthorpe. This land could conservatively provide 12-15,000 new homes as a Sustainable Urban Extension to New Lubbesthorpe.”

Others share concerns

A number of MPs have also expressed concerns about the Strategic Growth Plan. They include Charnwood MP Edward Argar who, amongst other observations, said “ in all the documents I have seen on the proposals, I have not seen any robust analysis that demonstrates this would solve the congestion currently experienced at a number of points on strategic roads west of Leicester (including around Groby - which was one of the challenges I put to them) rather than investing in major changes to the road network to the west....I have been absolutely clear that we do need to look at all options to further improve roads in our county and to ease congestion and traffic to the west of the city, but that presenting only one option is not the right way forward, and I believe it is important that a range of options are brought forward for full public consultation.” There hasn't been time before publication to ask for his comments on this alternative proposal, and at the moment as Minister for Health and Social Care, he probably has his hands full with other issues during the current health crisis.

The Junction 21 by-pass suggestion does have advantages for Groby residents travelling south on the M1 and west on the M69, but they may feel that they are outweighed by a new dual carriageway on the green space between Kirby Muxloe and Ratby and a chance, however remote, that an Eastern Expressway might slow the relentless increase in traffic on the Western By-pass.

Local reaction

When Ratby Borough Councillor (and County Councillor) Ozzy O'shea heard about the new suggestion his reaction was unequivocal. “I will not support a proposal that relieves traffic on the M1 by putting it on a new dual carriageway past Desford and Newtown Unthank, and potentially destroys the last open space between Ratby and Kirby Muxloe,” he said.

At the moment this is just a proposal, but the Willoughby Waterleys Residents Association is busy gathering support amongst the southern parishes. You can read their presentation online.

January 2019

Do you want the A46 to be a six lane highway?

Following an accident the A46 Western Bypass was closed northbound, between the junctions of the A50 at Groby and the Anstey turn, on the morning of 3rd December. Users of the road will be used to heavy traffic and long queues during peak periods. Earlier this year Groby residents, surrounded by major roads, noise, pollution and traffic noise may have been pleased to hear of the proposal for a new Leicester bypass.

The proposed road is at the centre of a strategy to find land to build more than 96,000 new homes in the county to meet estimated demand for housing by 2031 and a further 90,000 by 2051.

The rough route - from the A46 at Syston, looping round the east and south of Leicester and joining the M1 at a new junction between the existing Junction 20 and Junction 21 at Fosse Park - could create a corridor through Harborough, Blaby and Hinckley districts where some 40,000 of those new homes could be built

The draft Strategic Growth Plan which, when it went out for consultation drew no more than 600 responses, proposed to build more development in major strategic locations and to reduce the amount that takes place in existing towns, villages and rural areas. The A46 ‘Expressway’ proposal for the A46 is considered to be absolutely critical to the strategy, but in the consultation over half (57%) disagreed with the proposed construction, whereas nearly a third (31%) agreed with it.

A final version of the Plan, published in the autumn, will be used as a framework for preparing Local Plans. Together with the Strategic Transport Plan and Local Industrial Strategy, the Strategic Growth Plan will be used as a bidding document to secure funding for essential infrastructure and services in our area.

A46 Expressway still the best option

Following the analysis of the consultation responses a revised Plan has been developed to take advantage of significant new infrastructure capacity that is close to the anticipated key economic growth points. It says the A46 corridor represents an excellent opportunity to accommodate housing growth close to and with good transport links into the City, where anticipated job growth requires a workforce well in excess of that likely to be accommodated within Leicester and the urban periphery. Growth along this corridor is anticipated to help reduce the length of journeys to work, improve the prospect of non-car journeys and create additional jobs associated with the new housing areas in the corridor.

So the A46 Eastern Bypass(or Expressway) option is still considered the best way forward. In addition to help facilitate the release of land for employment and housing to the south of the city the road would also reduce the pressure on Junction 21 and 21A and perhaps stabilise, or even reduce in the short term, traffic volumes on the A46 Western Bypass.

Midlands Connect Partnership is a collaboration of 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships, Network Rail, Highways England, central government, 26 local authorities and the business community. It says Leicester is one of the worst traffic pinch points along the 155 miles of the A46 from Tewkesbury in Gloucesterhire to Grimsby on the east coast. It surveyed 250 companies close to the A46 in Leicestershire and nearly half of them said current traffic conditions negatively impacted their businesses. Three quarters of those firms said traffic had got worse in the last five years and nearly 20 per cent were considering relocating because of the snarled up A46.

Widen the A46 Bypass?

When residents in South Leicestershire were interviewed on television about the Expressway plan one said that it wasn't needed, adding that we already have a perfectly good A46 Western Bypass which could be widened to six lanes. No doubt Groby residents would disagree, along with those in Glenfield, Anstey, and Birstall. But his view may well be shared by many others in South Leicester and it would be no surprise to see Parish Councils in the south objecting to the scheme.

But without the Expressway the development potential may not be realised, and the proposed housing allocations might change to the disadvantage of villages such as Groby, so things get worse than they are already. Supporting the plan is probably the best option for the village and other parishes on the Western Bypass corridor, helping provide a balance for any opposition that is sure to develop in the South Leicestershire area. Groby Parish Council is contacting nearby councils to see whether they share this view.