A report prepared for the county council states there is a risk of pollution in the Lancaster Canal if the road went ahead

Permission is being sought by the county council to scope out a new £105 million link road for Preston.

As part of the City Deal, pumping hundreds of million of pounds into Preston and South Ribble, the Western Distributor is a new route planned.

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The road would run from the M55 near Cottam down to the A583 just West of Lea.

Lancashire County Council wants to build the road in preparation for thousands of new homes which could be built on the North West edge of Preston.

The city council unveiled its Garden City proposal in January showing where the new development around Fulwood, Woodplumpton and Cottam could take place.

An outline proposed route can be seen below in our map showing how the City Deal could change Preston, the Western Distributor is number 8.

An environmental report submitted with the route plan of the link road outlines some of the impacts on properties along the route.

A report by Jacobs prepared for the county council states it may take at least 15 years for some of the views in the area to be replaced by tree planting to screen the new road.

There would also be “significant adverse effects on views from public rights of way, recreational open spaces and other recreational routes as a result of direct severance of routes during the works.”

The Ashton and Lea golf course would also lose a lot of its views across the west of the city.

Wildlife and the environment are also due to be affected by the proposed route – including two biological heritage sites.

The route crosses Bartle Wetland and the Lancaster Canal.

Jacobs report states Bartle may lose breeding bird and amphibian habitat.

The Lancaster Canal may be directly or indirectly affected by pollution.

The Old Lea Hall Farm house is ranked as being of outstanding historical interest and is a grade II listed building, it sits within the proposed route border.

The full report can be viewed on the council website.

What do you think about the proposed route? Do you live in the area? Let us know in the comments below

Image credit to Tony Worrall