Sudbury bypass: Plans dropped as cost "prohibitively high"

The council is proposing spending £10m on five key junctions around Sudbury instead

Plans for a controversial new bypass around a market town have been dropped because the cost is "prohibitively high".

The estimated cost of the scheme in Sudbury is between £50m and £70m, according to Suffolk County Council.

Green councillors said the authority had "wasted" money on a "pointless dream".

The Conservative authority says spending £10m improving key junctions is a more cost-effective solution.

It commissioned independent experts from WSP to look at the options to relieve traffic congestion in and around Sudbury.

The five junctions proposed for development are:

• A134 / A131 / B1064

• A134 / B1115

• A134 / Newton Road / Shawlands Avenue

• A131 / Newton Road / Cornard Road / Great Eastern Road (Bell Vue Junction)

• A131 Ballingdon Hill / Bulmer Road.

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The council said while a bypass would provide "a lot of benefits to the town", the "prohibitive" cost would bring comparatively low benefits.

Mary Evans, cabinet member for highways, said: "We have looked at all of the options in detail and we have come up with these junction works.

"We will deliver what people want which is to improve traffic flow in Sudbury."

Conservative MP for South Suffolk, James Cartlidge, had backed plans for the bypass

Conservative MP for South Suffolk, James Cartlidge, had backed a bypass but said the building cost was "unfortunately at a level where we just wouldn't get the funding from the Chancellor".

Robert Lindsay, a Green Party councillor on the council, said he estimated the council had spent £1m on plans for the bypass.

But this was disputed by Mr Cartlidge, who said the figure was closer to £300,000.

Mr Lindsay said the town didn't need "to encourage more motorised traffic", and the council should invest in more cycle paths to reduce congestion.