Plans to Widen the A453 Go Ahead, Thanks to Lilian Greenwood’s Passionate Campaign!

When Government Officials decided that the plans to widen Nottinghamshire’s A453 were to be put on hold until at least 2015, Labour MP Lilian Greenwood did not take the decision lying down! Lilian Greenwood is a client of Exeid.com, with offices at 12 Regent Street, Nottingham. As Labour MP for  Nottingham South and Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Regional and Local Transport, Lilian campaigned tirelessly for the scheme to expand the notoriously dangerous A453 on time, in 2012. She understands just how important these developments are, as they have the potential to boost Nottinghamshire’s economy and keep drivers safer.

The 11 mile stretch of road between the M1 junction and the A52 Clifton Boulevard is has a reputation as one of the most congested routes through the county, with 32,000 vehicles passing through on an average day. As a result, accident rates are 33% higher than the national average for similar rural roads – In 2003-2007 there were 167 personal injury accidents, with 33 of these being serious or fatal. Emergency Services find it difficult to reach incidents, and the frequent buses (including the Uni-Link) run slowly and inefficiently.

Thanks to Lilian’s perseverance and commitment to local improvement, she was able to convince the Government to reconsider shelving the project, by securing an Adjournment Debate on Nottingham’s Transport Infrastructure and urging the Minister to come and view the congestion problems, firsthand. Lilian says, on the subject: “They have finally understood how important it is to support local businesses, and why local people, especially my constituents in Clifton, were so angry when it was delayed.” She continues by outlining the inevitable benefits of the £164million development: “The project will now give a much needed boost to our regional economy and local businesses, creating the jobs and opportunities that are so clearly needed.” Bringing growth and job opportunities to Nottinghamshire is imperative, in the current economic climate, and the widening of the A453 is estimated to provide a £540million boost to the East Midland’s Economy. This project will be particularly good for the Enterprize Zone on the Boots site in Beeston, and will also incorporate a “Park and Ride” site for the new Tram Expansion – a welcome addition to Nottingham’s leading transport network. At Exeid, we think this is a fantastic (long overdue!) idea, as anything that boosts the local economy and supports business will surely bring good exciting opportunities for the East midlands. If you will be affected by the widening of the A453, for better or worse, let us know in hte reply box below, and don’t forget you can tweet us at @exeid, or grab us on Facebook!