Delegates to lobby Minister over 'vital' bypass for town

Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart will lead a delegation including East Riding Council leader Stephen Parnaby to a meeting with Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, on Monday, February 7.

They are seeking Government backing for a 35m scheme that would see traffic diverted away from the centre of the historic town.

The Government has said the proposed southern relief road will have to compete against 21 other projects for part of a 600m pot of cash for transport schemes.

Mr Stuart said: "Last year we were told this vital project would be allowed to bid for a slice of the 600m Government cash available for road building schemes.

"I think the fact the project was given the green light to bid for the cash shows it is important and value for money.

"While this was great news, it is important we continue to work hard and make sure the Minister understands how important this road will be for Beverley and the surrounding communities."

The scheme, which has been talked about since the late 1960s, would do much to ease congestion in the town and help to protect key sites such as Beverley Minster. The plans are for a 1.2-mile stretch of road that would start at Figham roundabout and join the A1174 Hull Road close to the village of Woodmansey.

It would re-route many commercial vehicles away from Keldgate, which runs past the minster, and from Flemingate, a narrow stretch of road set for redevelopment, and away from the level crossing on the approach to the minster.

An integral part of the plans is for the creation of a new park and ride scheme that would accommodate 750 cars.

A site for this has yet to be agreed but it is intended to also serve as a northern park

and ride for Hull, which currently relies on the park and ride at Priory Park in Hessle to ease its own congestion problems.

Mr Stuart added: "So much work has already been done by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council on this project. It would be wrong not to make sure we push forward with it as soon as possible."