MORE than �300m of major Notts transport schemes are set to be written off for at least the next 15 years.
Plans for eight new bypasses, a River Trent crossing and a new railway station are among 30 projects which could be taken off the county council's list of "safeguarded" schemes.
Just 13 schemes will continue to be safeguarded out of a total of 63, while 20 are to be investigated further before any decision is made.
The county council will consider the move as the draft of its third Local Transport Plan – which sets its transport priorities until 2026 – goes before councillors next Thursday.
The Government has said it will provide just under �5m for the county council for the first year of the Local Transport Plan, in 2011-12. This is �3m less than the previous year.
Councillor Richard Jackson, cabinet member for transport and highways, said the council had to tighten its belt.
"We have endeavoured to include in the plan only schemes which are realistically achievable with the cash allocated to us, but there are no guarantees funding will be available for them all. And the reduction in next year's funding gives us no choice but not to pursue certain other proposals.
"Schemes which are currently unaffordable and could be liable for significant claims for blight, resulting in obligations to buy land along the route and having to pay considerable compensation to landowners have not been included."
Mr Jackson said some of the schemes being dropped, including a �100m River Trent crossing in Rushcliffe and a �75m dualling of the A617 Mansfield and Ashfield regeneration route, had always been long-term ambitions rather than firm plans.
But Councillor Stella Smedley hit out after plans for an Ollerton bypass, costing �10m, looked set to be dropped.
Mrs Smedley put the scheme forward a few years ago when the council was Labour controlled and she was cabinet member for transport and highways.
"I'm very disappointed. The A614 is a central arterial route through the county leading from Nottingham and Leicester to the A1.
"It takes a huge amount of traffic and the bottleneck is at Ollerton roundabout. There is no doubt the bypass would have helped that."
Other schemes set to be axed include a King's Mill railway station in the Ashfield district, costing up to �4m, the �3m Gamston park and ride plans and a bus-only route along Mansfield Road, Sutton, costing up to �2m.
The ones remaining safeguarded include the �11m Mansfield town centre public transport interchange; �12.66m Hucknall town centre improvements; the �5m Bingham park and ride; the reopening of the South Notts rail network – Gedling line (�10m-�15m); and the �15m A612 Southwell bypass.
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