High Peak MP and campaigners clash over Glossop Bypass

The Secretary of State for Transport confirmed in November that a new £200m bypass to take traffic away from Mottram in Longdendale would be built.

The new bypass is meant to ease congestion on the trans-Pennine route between Manchester and Sheffield by creating a new dual carriageway which would connect the M67 to the A57 towards Glossop.

However, the Council for the Protection of Rural England, CPRE, is challenging the decision and has filed a claim with the High Court .

High Peak MP Robert Largan claims that back in 2021 the Glossopdale Labour Party Branch donated £100 to CPRE which has left him concerned.

He said: “I am deeply disappointed with Glossop Labour Party who have donated money towards professional lobbyists who are now trying to block the bypass in the courts.

“We must not let them succeed. After over 50 years of waiting, we have never been so close to finally getting the bypass built. The people of Glossop deserve better.”

However, CPRE has contacted The Buxton Advertiser directly and said: “We have refuted these comments in writing to Mr Largan and he currently refuses to update his website. We have not and never will accept political money.”

Mr Largan also said the local Labour Party had campaigned against the bypass – a claim the party has denied.

The High Peak Labour Party has issued a statement in response to Mr Largan’s claims and says it ‘does not support and has not made any donations to the CPRE’s legal challenge’.

Fiona Sloman Chair of High Peak Labour Party said: “We fully support the Mottram bypass, which we were campaigning for long before Mr Largan even knew where Glossop was.

“It is extremely concerning that an MP should publish these false allegations and I have written to him seeking both an apology and the removal of the false allegations from his social media accounts.

“As both a Conservative MP and a member of the Conservative Government he should demonstrate the highest levels of integrity in public life. Making and repeating false allegations falls far below those standards.”