Call for meeting with Minister over A64 upgrade plans

CALLS for a meeting with Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin over the campaign to carry out a multi-million upgrading of the A64 have been made by the Conservative group leader of Scarborough Council, Coun Derek Bastiman.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Aug 2014, 01:28 BST

In a letter to Mr McLoughin, he says: “Major investment in east-west connections in North Yorkshire is long overdue.”

The council has joined the Local Enterprise Agency for the county, Ryedale District Council, City of York Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the Highways Agency to press Westminster for improvements to the busy trunk road because of the increasing volume of year-round traffic travelling between the coast and the major road links of the A1, A19 and M1.

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Coun Bastiman, who is also the council’s cabinet member for regeneration, said: “All these authorities and agencies have resolved to sign up to Memorandum of Understanding, reflecting the commitment to jointly work to deliver improvements along this route both in the short and longer term.”

Meanwhile, Scarborough and Whitby MP, Robert Goodwill, now a Minister of State for Transport, says he has discussed the A64 with the new minister for strategic road networks on trunk road, John Hayes.

“The Government has announced a £24bn investment programme in roads which will mean that by the end of the decade we are investing £3bn in improvements.”

It comes after a campaign by worried residents and Thirsk and Malton MP Anne McIntosh to improve road safety at three Ryedale villages along the A64 which resulted in success. The building of pedestrian refuges at East and West Heslerton and Ganton, follows public meetings called by the MP after a local schoolboy died while crossing the road to catch a bus.

They are among 49 improvement schemes planned for the A64.

Roger Wantling, for the Highways Agency, said there were a wide range of projects involved.

Related topics:A64Scarborough Council