PRESS RELEASE

18 September 2003

Green light for Coulsdon by-pass after Ottaway/Pelling meeting

The Coulsdon by-pass has been given the go-ahead with both TfL Commissioner Bob Kiley and CFO Jay Walder having signed the papers to progress the long awaited relief to Coulsdon town centre.

This news comes after a meeting called by local Member of Parliament Richard Ottaway with senior TfL officials to thrash out why another promised commencement date had passed without work starting.

Richard says:-

"Coulsdon residents were rightly asking why we had another delay. I'm delighted that our lobbying has paid off and that the green light to progress has been given. To pull off this multi-million pound investment for Coulsdon when the Mayor is cutting transport schemes is a great coup."

Andrew Pelling, the local London Assembly Member says:-

"This is good news for Coulsdon's environment and for Croydon's economy. I have been lobbying Transport for London and the Mayor for three years now in an attempt to get this road built, and it would appear that our efforts have finally paid off."

ENDS

Notes to Editors: TfL officials reported at the meeting that Bob Kiley, TfL Commissioner and Jay Walder, Managing Director of Finance & Planning have both signed the business case documents to release funds for the Coulsdon Relief Road and that a contract is expected to be signed within a month with the scheme's constructor, that there are still issues around access to all Network Rail land that will need to be resolved with implications for the final routes of adjoining roads and local development sites and that monies for improvements in Coulsdon Town Centre will be forthcoming from TfL in later financial years.

For further information about this issue please contact Richard Ottaway MP on 020 7219 6392 and Andrew Pelling direct on 020 7983 4353.