Campaigner Nick Green says Ipswich Northern Bypass unlikely

Nick Green, the former co-leader of the Stop the Northern Bypass campaign, was speaking after Ipswich MP Jack Abbott wrote to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling for government intervention on the project. 

The Northern Bypass has long been seen a solution to Ipswich's traffic issues, and calls for the revival of the project have intensified over recent weeks - with at least two of the Suffolk's MPs in favour of the road being built.

Last week, Ipswich MP Jack Abbott wrote to the Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer over the Northern Bypass (Image: Paul Geater)

The last serious consideration for a Northern Bypass came in 2019, but after months of protests it was scrapped in January 2020 after the project lost political support.

The project did not have support from the villagers to the north of the town, who would be most affected by any project's construction.

READ MORE: Ipswich councillor calls for Northern Bypass after A14 chaos

Mr Green said that even with new calls for a bypass coming from the region's MPs, not much has changed since the project was scrapped five years ago.

Nick Green, the former co-leader of the Stop the Northern Bypass campaign, pictured in 2019 (Image: Archant)

He said: "What we have seen is a lot of accidents and breakdowns around the Copdock Interchange, and it wouldn't help if we had a Northern Bypass or not.

"I think what happens is that every time there is a breakdown or an accident, some politician immediately calls for a Northern Bypass that doesn't have any chance of happening.

"During the campaign, it was estimated that the costs of it would be in the region of £600-700 million, which in today's money will be in the billions. 

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Patrick Spencer has remained opposed to the project. (Image: Roger Harris/ House of Commons) "The environmental impact would be catastrophic, complete and utter vandalism - what it would achieve is that you would have a honeymoon period for a few years, where the traffic flows freely.

"Every single major A road like this is done this way, a honeymoon period where the traffic eases. But then after a few years it gets worse, and that is what we demonstrated in the campaign."

One of the criticisms levelled at those who oppose a Northern Bypass is that they have failed to come up with a realistic alternative, politicians have said recently.

Three routes for a Northern Bypass were suggested in 2019, with the inner route being the most likely to go ahead (Image: Archant) But Mr Green has suggested that the answer may be the revival of a different project, which was similarly abandoned years ago. 

He added: "The Upper Orwell Crossing, the first project talked about to relieve the A14, took a replacement road through the docklands and the light industry back on to the A14.

"The company that looked into that proposal estimated that it would cost a quarter of the costs of the Northern Bypass and would regenerate that portion of the town with much better returns for the investment needed. 

The Orwell Bridge is currently the only link between the A12 and A14 that does not go through Ipswich (Image: Sonya Duncan) "A fraction of the cost, a fraction of the environmental damage and would benefit Ipswich no end - it is certainly something that could be looked at.

READ MORE: MP responds to letter to call for Ipswich Northern Bypass

"Why wouldn't you do that? They would have to explain why an Upper Orwell Crossing couldn't be done, it probably makes the most sense.

Protests against the project, such as this one outside of Ipswich Town Hall, successfully saw the scheme abandoned five years ago (Image: Archant) "We can't build roads just in case someone has an accident, that would be utter stupidity."

Last week, Mr Abbott's letter to Sir Keir urged the government to take the issue out of the "political quagmire".

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Patrick Spencer has previously outlined his opposition to the scheme, preferring to look at other traffic-calming solutions.