Roads versus railways

By LBV

18 Nov 2009

Have your sayMore opinion

Infrastructure and future transport in Britain seems to be receiving a lot of much needed attention in the media at the moment.

It is brilliant news to hear that current proposals for the London to the West Midlands to Scotland high speed rail route will probably take it through the North West. It’s also great to hear the government talking about spending money to improve the rail infrastructure across the rest of the country.

But how many times have you sat in traffic at a motorway junction or roundabout anxiously checking your watch and cursing the vehicles in front for holding you up?

We all know that feeling, and certainly manufacturing-mighty Pendle is a classic case. The M65, brought to a sudden halt at Colne, presumably by budget constraints, now gives way to inadequate roads that have caused massive frustration to all of us over recent years. The jams begin first thing in the morning and continue until well after finishing time in the evening.

It’s a familiar story around the country, and something that the average motorist has come to accept on his way to the shops or taking children to school. But we should remember that manufacturers and businesses in the North West rely on road transport to get vital components to their customers on time.

How many deadlines have been missed because of the blocked flow of vehicles on now unsuitable roads? British Chambers of Commerce now estimate the annual cost to business of congestion as a staggering £23.2billion.

The authorities need to acknowledge that manufacturing and commercial business in the North West is our lifeblood, which has too often been ignored.

We’re told a nationwide multi-million pound high-speed train line could soon (within 20 years’ time) be in place but when was the last time you saw your local roads being improved to make them easier to use during crucial business hours?

It’s way time more thought was put in to help improve infrastructure for industries that are central to Lancashire’s heritage... and more importantly it’s future. Planning for major projects has to be speeded up. Successful economies are increasingly nimble economies.

Without improvements, one day Joe Average struggling to get to the shops might not find anything there to buy, and he anyway may have lost his job to a faster moving country.

Businesses now need to work together, and support the Chamber in campaigning with the local authorities and the 4NW Regional Leaders’ Board with central government on these issues.
 

John Getty, president, Chamber of Commerce East Lancashire.

 Have your sayMore opinion

Enjoyed this? Read more from LBV

Latest news

1

Council Committee approved the boundary for the first phase of Central Housing Regeneration Scheme The boundary image for the regeneration

Council Committee approved the boundary for the first phase of Central Housing Regeneration Scheme

13 Mar 2025

2

Leyland Trucks celebrates 10,000th DAF XB production milestone Leyland Trucks celebrates 10,000th DAF XB production milestone

Leyland Trucks celebrates 10,000th DAF XB production milestone

12 Mar 2025

3

Lisa Goodwin-Allen to leave Northcote after 23 years Lisa Goodwin Allen

Lisa Goodwin-Allen to leave Northcote after 23 years

12 Mar 2025

4

Iwan Jones appointed chief financial officer of NW Mutual Iwan Jones

Iwan Jones appointed chief financial officer of NW Mutual

11 Mar 2025

5

Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses get planning approval for state-of-the-art cheesemaking campus Butler Farmhouse Cheeses

Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses get planning approval for state-of-the-art cheesemaking campus

11 Mar 2025

Pc Prestonmacan Gif980x120 March
Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV121 March/April Launch Event
121 Lancashire Business View Magazine Launch
Networking
20 Mar 2025

LBV121 March/April Launch Event

The Whitakers Museum, Rossendale, BB4 6RE

08:30 - 10:30

Skills Bootcamp in Procurement - Cohort 3
Blue-Modern-Land-Travel-Youtube-Thumbnail-2-1024x576.png.png
LBV Hub Awards
14 Jan 2025 - 18 Mar 2025

Skills Bootcamp in Procurement - Cohort 3

Community & Business Partners CIC, Blackburn, BB2 3UA

09:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

March Preston tech Connection: IWD Accelerate Action
PRESTON TECH CONNECTION jan.ai-5.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
13 Mar 2025 - 13 Mar 2025

March Preston tech Connection: IWD Accelerate Action

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Red Rose Awards 2025
Red Rose Awards 2025
Awards
13 Mar 2025

Red Rose Awards 2025

Winter Gardens Blackpool

18:00 - 11:59

Live Work Create: Creative Placemaking.
LiveWorkCreate .png.png
LBV Hub Networking
18 Mar 2025 - 18 Mar 2025

Live Work Create: Creative Placemaking.

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:30

Seasons of Leadership - Spring
jeremy-thomas-FO7bKvgETgQ-unsplash.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Webinar
18 Mar 2025 - 18 Mar 2025

Seasons of Leadership - Spring

Online, Trawden, BB8 8SW

19:00 - 21:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Header (18).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
20 Mar 2025 - 20 Feb 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

The Marketing MeetUp Lancashire
TMM Lancs 30th Jan.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
25 Mar 2025 - 25 Mar 2025

The Marketing MeetUp Lancashire

The Chubby Duck, Rawtenstall, BB4 6AJ

18:00 - 20:00

Spring Statement 2025 LIVE: Insights with PM+M
Spring Statement 2025 LIVE for website.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Mar 2025 - 26 Mar 2025

Spring Statement 2025 LIVE: Insights with PM+M

Blackburn Rovers, Blackburn, BB2 4JF

12:00 - 15:00

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: March
Freelancer Meet-Up March.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
27 Mar 2025 - 27 Mar 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: March

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV120 Online Graphic 1
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin