On Monday, Rosie Cooper MP was joined in Ormskirk by Rosie Winterton MP, Minister of State at the Department for Transport to inspect for herself the unsuitability of Park Road at the point where it passes Ormskirk Parish Church for high density traffic and heavy goods vehicles that currently use it as a busy commuter route from east to west across Ormskirk.

Rosie Cooper said: “The only solution for Ormskirk’s congested roads is a bypass which will reduce traffic through the town especially at ‘pinch points’ such as this. Improved public transport will not help in this case as the buses would still have to pass the same ‘pinch points’. I am grateful to the Minister for Transport for including Ormskirk on her visit to the region so she could see the situation that commuters and pedestrians face everyday for herself. There is a recognition locally, regionally and nationally that this scheme is desperately needed and that the area has waited for a solution for too long. The County Council is carrying out the necessary work in preparation for the submission of planning permission to WLDC next year.

In 2008 / 2009 the region will reconsider its transport priorities and we are hopeful that this scheme will be higher in those priorities and attract the necessary funding.

The visit by the Minister comes after a recent meeting where Rosie Cooper updated the Minister on the latest situation and her continued support for building an Ormskirk bypass. On the day Rosie was joined by Councillor Tony Martin, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development at Lancashire County Council and the Reverend Chris Jones of Ormskirk Parish Church who has serious safety concerns for both the fabric of this historic parish church and for his parishioners who have to cross busy and potentially hazardous Park Road in order to attend church services.