Minister announces £33m boost for towns' bypass link project

Transport Minister Sadiq Khan confirmed that a massive windfall of more than 33m would be made available for the ambitious scheme to bypass Bedale, Aiskew and Leeming Bar and link the A684 trunk road with the A1(M).

The project aims to remove up to 60 per cent of traffic from the existing road, which at its busiest point carries about 14,000 vehicles every day.

A 33.4m contribution has been agreed by the Department for Transport, the remainder coming from North Yorkshire County Council, which is promoting the scheme.

It is hoped that work on the project will start in 2012 once planning permission is secured.

The road scheme is also intended to help a multi-million-pound drive to boost the rural economy across North Yorkshire, as well as improving access to prime tourism destinations such as the North York Moors National Park.

Bedale is part of the Renaissance Market Towns initiative, a pioneering 10-year plan being overseen by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

The scheme is looking to use rural towns as economic development "hubs" to regenerate the wider communities.

The initiative for Bedale will be helped by removing through-traffic from the town while the bypass will improve access to the surrounding area including the North York Moors, the Leeming Bar industrial estate and the county town of Northallerton.

Mr Khan said: "An efficient and reliable transport system is the lifeblood of every local community. This is why we're committing significant amounts of money to improving transport across the country.

"The Government is willing to invest more than 33m in building this road which will ease congestion in Bedale, Aiskew and Leeming Bar and improve access to Leeming Bar industrial estate and other destinations, including the A1(M), creating better connections for business and tourism.

"The scheme will also improve safety for residents in Bedale, Aiskew and Leeming Bar – particularly pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders – and increase the reliability of public transport in the area."

The bypass is due to form a vital link between the existing network and the proposed upgrade by the Highways Agency for the A1 section between Dishforth and Barton.

At its mid-point the link will cross the A1(M), which is itself is soon to be upgraded to motorway standard, where it will connect to a proposed new grade-separated interchange.

North Yorkshire County Council's executive member for highways, John Fort, claimed there had been overwhelming support from local communities for the scheme for the bypass. A public consultation which was carried out in the autumn last year saw 93 per cent of those who responded backing the proposals.

Coun Fort said: "The council has worked hard over the past two years to promote the bypass of these communities.

"The Regional Transport Advisory Board re-endorsed its support for the scheme in February and it is excellent news that the Department of Transport has now also endorsed the scheme for inclusion in its programme."

The Government's announcement now means that the county council can move forward with detailed planning for the scheme.