Link road gets go ahead 30 years after proposal

North Lincolnshire Council says the new road will help reduce traffic in Barton-upon-Humber

A link road which has been discussed for over 30 years, has been granted planning permission.

The Barton-upon-Humber link road, which will enable drivers to bypass the town, was approved at North Lincolnshire Council’s planning committee on Wednesday.

A mile long, it will connect the A1077 and Caistor Road, helping drivers avoid Barton town centre when transferring from the A1077 east of Barton to the A15 west of the town.

Agent Ian Ford, speaking on behalf of North Lincolnshire Council, told councillors “a range of benefits will come out of this proposal”, including reduction of traffic in Barton’s historic centre.

He added the scheme had gone through extensive consultation.

The link road, which is the main focus of the Barton transport transformation plan, is supported by £19.7m from the government's Levelling Up Fund.

The scheme will include a cycleway, footpaths and landscaping, and a linked planning application for more than 170 homes at the Barton end of the link road.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a previous timeline suggested the link road’s completion by spring 2025, but that was based on the planning application receiving approval earlier this year.

Councillor backing

Planning committee member and Barton ward councillor Chris Patterson welcomed the application, thanked officers for working through residents’ concerns and said “It’s been a long time in getting here.”

Councillor Mick Grant said: “I’ve been a councillor since 1995, the inception of this authority. This was mooted since day one as being a priority. I’m glad to see it here now.”

A keen cyclist, Mr Grant said: “I cycle a lot around Barton and I’m not joking - when you go through Barton, you’re taking your life in your hands.”

Councillor Nigel Sherwood said a bypass had been discussed as long ago as 1991 under Glanford Borough Council.

Councillor Max Bell, who said he was two years old in 1995, said he interpreted the majority of objections as being due to the current proposed design not going far enough, though he personally welcomed the application.

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