Welcome to Warwickshire County Council

Background

The Rugby Western Relief Road (RWRR) is being built to relieve traffic congestion in and around Rugby. On-going residential and industrial development in the town over the next few years, particularly to the west and north of the town centre, will mean further traffic coming into and out of the town and the relief road is needed to respond to the ever growing demands on the road network. The road will also help to mitigate environmental damage from effects such as noise and air pollution as well as creating better conditions for pedestrians and cyclists and will help reduce the number of accidents. The £36.6 million scheme includes a £17.08 million contribution from the Department for Transport as well as contributions from developers. The contract has been awarded to Carillion JM Ltd who started work on site in August 2007 and is due for completion at the end of 2009.

Secretary of State Decision Press Release

Good news on Rugby Western Relief Road - December 2005 Warwickshire County Council has welcomed the news that the Secretary of State for Transport has given the thumbs up to the new Rugby Western Relief Road. On Friday the Department for Transport (DfT) indicated that it will confirm the Compulsory Purchase and Side Roads Orders for the published scheme subject to minor modifications. This decision follows the re-convened public inquiry in Rugby earlier this year where the County Council challenged the Minister’s provisional decision in recommending that the scheme should be built in stages and that the dismantled railway corridor should be used for the southern section. The only part of the scheme not approved now is the very southern section from the old railway bridge on the A4071 to Potford’s Dam Farm. Consequently, it is expected that the relief road will now terminate in a roundabout close to the bridge. The approval of the southern section from Lawford Road to Potford’s Dam means that Cawston Grange Drive will therefore not form part of the relief road. It is too soon to give a start date for construction as there are still a number of processes to go through before the Orders can be confirmed. The DfT then has to give full approval of funding for the scheme and the detailed design has to be completed. As a result, work is unlikely to start before the end of 2006. County Councillor Martin Heatley, Porfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “This is good news for the people of Rugby and the residents of Cawston and Bilton who have been waiting a long time for the relief road to be built. The new road will encourage the removal of through traffic and help ease the traffic congestion. The road will also facilitate the development of Rugby as set out in the Local Plan for the Town.”

Reports and Decision Letter

First Report to the Secretary of State for Transport (pdf, 4.7Mb) First Interim Letter (pdf, 936Kb) Second Report to the Secretary of State for Transport (pdf, 460Kb) Second Interim Report (pdf, 1.1Mb) Decision Letter (pdf, 926Kb) Full details of the Scheme that was the subject of the public inquiry. Further Information If you would like further information regarding the scheme, please email rwrr@warwickshire.gov.uk or telephone 01926 412826.