Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
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2003 (and previous) press releases
Norman Baker Wins Key Concession from Transport Debate. Transport Minister promises to hold exhibition in Lewes.
Local MP Norman Baker has won a key concession from Transport Minister David Jamieson to hold a consultation exercise in Lewes on the A27 expansion proposals. The Minister made the pledge during a debate initiated by the Lewes MP on the South Coast Multi-Modal Study
Halcrow, the company conducting the transport study, had only planned to hold a consultation exercise at Ringmer which Mr Baker pointed out "is not accessible by train and is nowhere near those affected directly by the A27 scheme. Consultation should have taken place in Lewes." The Minister promised to find "a suitable place in Lewes" for the exercise.
Mr Baker hit out at the new scheme for the section of the A27 between Lewes and Beddingham as "clumsy, rushed cut-and-paste job." The Lewes MP also slammed other congestion-busting proposals as "technically flawed" and told Ministers that the plan to cut traffic between Southerham and Beddingham will actually add to tailbacks on the A26.
The Lib Dem MP urged public sector employees in Lewes to adopt public transport rather than use their cars to tackle pollution and congestion. He added: "In a study of traffic going in to Lewes from the A27 we found that 91% of cars entering the town had only 1 person inside."
Speaking about his debate on the Multi-Modal Study, Norman Baker says:
"The balance in the South Coast plan is skewed. The emphasis is on building roads, which will actually add to congestion on the A26 and A27 rather than solving the problem."
"The solutions to the transport problems in my constituency, and along the south coast, are clear. The government needs to introduce cheaper rail fares and improve the bus network. Roads should be the last option. Halcrow need to go back to the drawing board and consider other options. Most of my constituents would prefer all other options to be exhausted before the government introduces environmentally damaging road schemes."