Residents still sceptical over need for bypass

Residents feel a Sudbury bypass is unlikely to be built in the next five to 10 years, according to a recent survey.

The poll – organised by Robert Lindsay, Green Party parliamentary candidate for South Suffolk – posed a series of questions on whether a western relief road was needed, or likely.

In total, 60 per cent of the 323 respondents thought it was “very unlikely” that a bypass would be built in the next five years, with that figure dropping to 36 per cent for a bypass in the next 10 years.

The vast majority said the water meadows were important to the town, with 72 per cent of people saying they did not think a relief road was a price worth paying “to sacrifice the amenity and wildlife of the water meadows”.

In response to the results, Mr Lindsay said: “Suffolk Conservatives decided to talk about a bypass just before the election as a way to try to get their candidate elected, but people have seen through that.

“Most people recognise that building a bypass will simply add to traffic in the long-term.”

Conservative parliamentary candidate James Cartlidge, who is leading the campaign for a bypass, said: “Regardless of the survey results, every person in Sudbury recognises that traffic is a massive problem.

“How do we divert the huge number of lorries from our town centre?

“There is not just one answer and no idea will be universally popular, but I believe the only feasible option is a bypass.”

He said he understood it would be a major project but said: “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

Criticisms levelled against the survey included claims of loaded questions, but Mr Lindsay said it was unavoidable that a link road would have a negative impact on wildlife in the area.