Newbury bypass benefits 'shortlived'

The benefits of the controversial pounds 100m Newbury bypass will be wiped out within a decade, according to a leaked county council document.

The bypass is being built to take pressure off the A34, but Friends of the Earth has obtained a Newbury Transport Strategy document due to be published next week by Berkshire County Council. According to FoE, the document says that even with traffic management schemes put in place "traffic conditions on the existing A34 in 2006 would return to the current position".