Govt cuts 15 road projects
The cancelled schemes come from across the country, with four in the North and three in the Midlands.
The road projects met their demise after a review into the Conservative government’s Major Road Network/Large Local Majors Programme, which looked at the 41 projects that made up the programme and examined their business cases.
From that review, 16 were given the green light to proceed, with others still left for review. These 16 are still progressing, and include Shalesmoor Gateway in Sheffield, Wigan East West, Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor Phase 4, and A426/A4071 Avon Mill/Hunters Lane improvements.
Now, the Department for Transport has decided that the business cases for 15 additional road schemes do not stack up.
“The previous government did not fund these projects,” said a DfT spokesperson.
“Given the challenging financial picture we inherited, we have had to make difficult decisions on a number of road projects and can only progress schemes that are affordable for taxpayers.”
In the North West, the roadwork projects no longer moving forward are the A500 Crewe Station Corridor and the Kendal Northern Access Road.
Yorkshire’s A1079 Improvement Scheme in Wilberfoss was also axed, as was the Blyth Relief Road in the North East.
Midlands’ lost the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route, A454 between Wolverhampton and East Parkway Gateway, and A509 Isham Bypass.
News of the projects being abandoned began to trickle out on Friday, as the Department for Transport notified the respective local authorities. The full list of cancelled projects is as follows:
- Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route
- A500 Crewe Station Corridor
- Kendal Northern Access Route
- Blyth Relief Road
- A31 Farnham Corridor
- A1139 University Access
- A127 Corridor for Growth
- A1079 Improvement scheme, Wilberfoss
- A454 between Wolverhampton and East Park gateway
- A509 Isham Bypass
- A350 Melksham Bypass
- A4174 MOD Roundabout Improvements
- City Centre Road, Portsmouth
- Ely to Cambridge A10 Improvement
- M5 Junction 9 and A46 (Ashchurch)
The programme cancellations have been let with frustration from councils.
Cheshire East Cllr Mark Goldsmith, remarking on the demise of the A500 Crewe Station Corridor, said: “Councils are being encouraged to drive economic growth, attract investment and facilitate the delivery of new homes and jobs, and so the withdrawal of support for infrastructure schemes such as this is completely at odds.”
Westmorland and Furness Council said that it would challenge the decision to axe the Kendal Northern Access Road.
Meanwhile, over in Staveley councillors are calling for Chesterfield Council to pause future housing projects that were due to benefit from the Chesterfield-Staveley Regeneration Route until the bypass is built.
