Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

A public backlash over the inclusion of National Highways’ proposed Port of Liverpool Access Road within Liverpool’s new A-to-Z has led to its immediate removal online, with changes to printed copies to follow soon after.

A supporter of the Save Rimrose Valley Campaign noticed that the proposed route had been plotted through Rimrose Valley Country Park on the current edition, despite the project being years behind schedule, no planning application having been made, and having recently been pushed back even further by the UK Government. Both public and political opposition to the scheme has grown since the route was first announced in 2017, contributing to the delay.

The campaign contacted the Maps team at publisher, Harper Collins, who promptly replied, advising:- “When we are made aware of errors; such as the inclusion of a now delayed road; we update the maps as soon as possible. We are grateful to you for making us aware that the project has been pushed back and are happy to remove the proposed road… at the next available opportunity.”

They added that the digital copy had been updated immediately.

Speaking on behalf of Save Rimrose, Stuart Bennett said:- “We’re extremely grateful to Harper Collins for making this correction so quickly. We learned that the information to update their maps comes from a variety of sources including local councils, Ordnance Survey, National Highways, and their own research. We wouldn’t be at all surprised if this were National Highways’ latest attempt to try and hoodwink the public that its road proposal is a done deal when it is anything but. Ironically, it has worked against them. Seeing how the proposed route would carve up this incredibly rare piece of 'urban countryside' has galvanised our supporters into wanting to protect it even more, if that were possible. It hammers home just how little National Highways cares about the natural environment. As one contributor put it, we hope that this edition of the Liverpool A-Z becomes a collector’s item. We’ll certainly be fighting to ensure that a dotted line on a map is as far as this disastrous project gets to becoming a reality. We encourage everyone to print a copy of the incorrect map… and hang it on the toilet wall!"