Evening Echo
September 5, 2001

Protest at park's one-way road bid

THE latest suggestion for a one-way system around Priory Park, Prittlewell has come under fire from conservationists.

Roger Weaver, Southend Council's cabinet member in charge of transport, put forward the suggestion in the hope of easing traffic congestion at Cuckoo Corner.

But his idea was attacked by Peter Walker, chairman of the Priory Park Presevervation Society, formed to fight proposals to take part of the park to allow Priory Crescent to become a dual carriageway.

Mr Walker said: "This proposal is nothing more than an attempt to divide the huge majority of the residents of Southend who are opposed to his original scheme.

"In reality, it would make the park almost inaccessible to pedestrians as, if the rest of the scheme was to work at all, two lanes of fast moving traffic would isolate the park from the rest of the world.

"It is a horrendous scheme in many ways as unacceptable as bulldozing the trees on the north side."

Mr Walker said he could put forward a number of cheap, environmentally harmless and easily reversible suggestions which could be tried in order to improve traffic flows.

Mr Weaver has repeatedly said he has no preference for any method of solving the problems of Cuckoo Corner and Priory Crescent. All possibilities will be looked at with full public consultation and a decision will be made by the full council.

Priory plan rapped

READERs have voiced their opposition to plans to create a one-way system around Priory Park to ease traffic congestion.

The idea was mooted by Roger Weaver, Tory executive councillor for transport, following protests about proposals to cut into Priory Park for a road widening scheme.

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