'This is the end of what I can do legally'
Aug 17 2006 By Zoe Hughes Political Editor, The Journal
Environmental campaigner Bryan Atkinson has hit the end of the road in his one-man battle to stop the second Tyne Tunnel.
Mr Atkinson was yesterday told he could not appeal against a High Court decision backing the building of the river crossing between North and South Tyneside - a move he branded a "disaster" for Jarrow.
Speaking just hours after the decision by the Court of Appeal, he warned: "It is the end of what I can do legally. It is a defeat in terms of the legal process."
The 42-year-old green activist from South Shields, failed to convince the High Court in May to stop the development because of concerns over waste and traffic but had hoped to prove his case in the Court of Appeal. Yesterday, appeal judges rejected his protest dismissing his right to take the case any further.
Last night he insisted he would not give up his crusade, telling The Journal: "It's not built until it's built and I won't give up until that stage. I accept I cannot take the legal process forward any more but I still argue this is a disaster for Jarrow. We should be providing real public transport instead of just building roads.
"This decision will dump more pollution on some of the poorest communities in the North-East and people should be ashamed of that. Road-building is not the answer."
Work on the £185m tunnel - which will take almost four years and double the number of cars passing under the Tyne linking the A1 and A19 - could start in the autumn of next year, possibly opening by 2011.
It will involve a two-lane, immersed tube tunnel under the Tyne between East Howdon on the north bank and Jarrow on the south bank with a "toll plaza" on the north side and new southern interchange near Epinay Walk.
Two consortia, the Connect North-East group and The Bouygues, have submitted bids to build the tunnel.
Transport chiefs welcomed the court decision saying the tunnel link was vital to create more jobs in Tyne and Wear.
Tyne and Wear passenger transport authority chairman Councillor David Wood said Mr Atkinson - a father-of-four from Broughton Road - had used every legitimate means to stop the crossing from going ahead but had failed at every stage.
"This is vital if we are to attract investment and create jobs in the Tyne and Wear area. Few would argue that it makes any sense to have two miles of single carriageway in a 70-mile stretch of dual-carriageway linking the principle areas of population in the North-East of England."
The wrangle had centred on whether enough information on the environmental impact of the scheme had been considered before approval was granted by the Government.
