By Andrew Hendry
The government has announced plans to build a motorway extension from Southampton to the West Country, which will cut through many Dorset coastal areas, including Bournemouth.
The aim of the plan is to cope with an expected 12 million extra cars on the road, within the next 30 years.
There have been mixed views towards the scheme, with many people concerned about environmental issues raised by the proposal.
Paul Tltschik a 43-year-old lawyer from Bath Road, feels strongly, that instead, ‘more money should be spent on public transport’. This view is also shared by 67-year-old retiree, Susan Healy, from New Milton, who labelled the scheme as ‘unnecessary.’
On the other hand many believe that the proposal will enhance tourism in the Dorset region. Carolyn Humphreys, a 58-year-old driving instructor, also from the New Milton area, noted successes of current motorways in other areas and hopes that the scheme will follow suit. Similarly, Rebekah Turner, a 26-year-old estate agent from Branksome Park, believes ‘tourist areas need people’ and a new motorway will provide this.
Some however, do not share the same line of thought. Sophie Pratt, an 18-year-old sales advisor from Winton, is ‘aggravated’ by the scheme, believing an increase in tourism ‘will cause problems for smaller villages.’ Kelly Buxton, 22, a Foot-care assistant from Kinson, already believes traffic is a problem in Bournemouth and this will only add to the trouble.
Despite this, frequent drivers see the proposal in a positive light. Vicky Woodman, 22, who regularly drives from Bristol to Bournemouth, believes the new motorway will “make travelling a lot easier.’ Selena Haig, a 21-year-old sales consultant from the Winton area, agrees that the scheme will increase traffic flow and therefore shorten journeys.
The greatest concern however, is the effect that this proposal may have on the environment. Lukas Dymlang a 27-year-old security guard from Boscombe, is worried about environmental problems that may arise from the construction of a new motorway. Mark Donnelly, a 29-year-old environmentalist from Southampton believes that the new motorway will not only increase traffic in the Dorset area, but will also ‘destroy the landscape we have all grown to love’.
