Ministers urged to commit to long-awaited A64 road upgrade

THE Government is coming under increasing pressure to commit to multi-million pound improvements on North Yorkshire’s main route to the coast to ensure the beleaguered economy is not stifled.

The protracted battle for a long-awaited upgrade to the A64 between York and Scarborough is being intensified as Ministers have been warned the region’s economy could be severely hampered without the improvements.

One of the most vocal campaigners, MP Anne McIntosh, revealed yesterday that she has written to the Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable, in the hope of securing finance for the scheme.

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Miss McIntosh, who is the Conservative MP for Thirsk, Malton and Filey, has already sent a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, calling for money to be set aside from the Regional Growth Fund.

She claimed there are “compelling economic and strategic arguments” for improving the 35-mile stretch of road, and raised concerns over the A64’s safety record.

The Yorkshire Post revealed earlier this month that sections of the A64 between York and Scarborough were among the county’s worst speeding blackspots.

Miss McIntosh also highlighted the need to ensure an adequate transport infrastructure is in place to the coast ahead of the arrival of major industry.

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Scarborough and Whitby are seen as key locations to support the world’s largest offshore wind farm which is due to be built nearly 80 miles off the coast at Dogger Bank to generate up to 10 per cent of the nation’s electricity.

Plans are also being drawn up for a major potash mine centred on the North York Moors National Park, which would create up to 5,000 jobs.

Miss McIntosh said: “The issue (of improving the A64) has been around for so long, and in my opinion it is simply a no brainer. If there is one scheme the Government needs to support in North Yorkshire, it is this. Without the work to improve the road, towns like Malton, Pickering and Filey as well as places like York and Scarborough will simply not be fulfil their full economic potential.”

The Government has already committed a total of £1.4bn to projects nationally under the Regional Growth Fund, its flagship policy to create private sector jobs in areas hard hit by public sector cuts.

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In Yorkshire, a total of 24 bids are being backed with as much as £143m in the second round of grants from the fund, which could create 3,000 jobs directly with another 13,700 created in supply chains.

The most controversial decision is for a proposed loan of as much as £36m for Sheffield Forgemasters – a company that had been controversially refused an £80m loan last year amid bitter recriminations.

Other protects include £17m for business rate discounts to companies moving into the centre of Bradford to try to boost the city’s stalled regeneration.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills stressed there are no plans for future rounds of bidding which could pave the way for cash to be allocated to improve the A64.

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But a spokeswoman confirmed funding could be released if schemes which have already been allocated cash “do not meet the process of due diligence” or have to be revised due to costs.

The Yorkshire Post revealed in September that an initial £400m scheme to upgrade the A64 was having to be scaled back due to the Government’s cuts.

The revised scheme could instead see so-called “two-plus-one lanes” created, which would allow motorists to overtake slow-moving vehicles including lorries and tractors by introducing a single additional carriageway.

The plans could also see speed limits increased for heavy goods vehicles from 40mph to 50mph to ensure smoother traffic flows, without motorists attempting dangerous overtaking manoeuvres while stuck behind lorries.