Saga of relief road has dragged on since the 1960s
THE idea of a Thornton bypass is not a new one.
Similarly, the last minute scrapping of the plans is something the villagers have come to expect over the years.
The saga of a road to alleviate traffic in the village has dragged on since the 1960s.
Thornton was previously a place of tranquillity with safe roads.
But, as traffic has increased over the years, commuters driving to and from the motorways are making the village a noisy, polluted and dangerous place to live.
Villagers, politicians and council officers have toiled and campaigned for almost 40 years to introduce measures that would see Thornton return to its former state.
As long ago as 1968, the need for a link was identified during the planning of the M57, M58 and M62 motorways.
With increased traffic, a series of proposals were presented to the public in the early 1990s.
Lengthy consultations and a public inquiry were held, before the Government dropped the plans in 1997. jam
In March 2000, 200 people marched through Thornton to protest at traffic congestion. They were joined by their MP, then Home Office minister George Howarth, to demonstrate the need for a relief road to save the village from accidents and pollution.
A £9m single carriageway plan was finally chosen by councillors and went out to public consultation. Now, it appears that five years of hard work and an estimated £2m in putting the bid together have been for nothing.
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