Major road upgrade plan welcomed as boost to region by Yorkshire council leader

Highways England this weekend outlined the preferred route for a £1bn upgrade to the A66, dualling parts in Yorkshire along the key road connecting northern England from east to west.

Now the leader of North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC), Carl Les, has spoken of the benefits the wider scheme could bring to the region as he broadly welcomed the announcement.

“It’s a hugely important road, and a very strategic part of the jigsaw,” the Conservative councillor said. “There will be strong economic benefits, if we are hoping for ‘staycations’ in the future.

"I’m very keen to support the Prime Minister’s levelling up agenda, there are a huge amount of investment schemes in the North to allow that to happen.”

And while the majority of the works to be done will be outside of Yorkshire’s boundaries, Coun Les added: “It’s a truism to say it’s a two-way street. Those benefits come back.”

Peter Molyneux, major roads director at regional strategic body Transport for the North, said work was essential, speeding up journeys and connecting coastal ports on both sides of the Pennines: “The green light for this project is another piece of the jigsaw in our 30-year mission to give the North the quality connections it needs.

“The key now will be looking at ways to get on site as quickly as possible to deliver the benefits.”

Following the announcement, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “As we gradually reopen our society, we want to ensure communities across the North are able to benefit from smoother, safe, better connected journeys.

"Upgrading this vital national link will not only level up infrastructure in the region but will deliver benefits up and down the country - supporting tourism and movement between our key ports.”

Boost to region

The route, said Coun Les, is a key connector for the region in terms of people travelling between Yorkshire and the Lakes, but also in linking Scotland to the coast.

Furthermore, he said in terms of safety the route between Scotch Corner and Barnard Castle was at present known as a dangerous one.

“We have communities that live on both sides of the road, crossing for essential shopping and education,” he said. “There have been a number of very tragic collisions at junctions.

"It seems staggering to hear sums of £1bn, but a lot of that cost comes in because there will be bridges, which would be very welcome.”

The scheme was first announced under Theresa May in 2016, under measures intended to narrow the North-South divide and open up opportunities in the North.

Options were set out by former Transport Secretary Chris Grayling last year at the launch of a consultation, with the results now showing 93 per cent of respondents had backed the dualling plan. It will now go for further analysis, before a second period of consultation next year.

Coun Les, having championed the scheme for many years, said it had often been overlooked until now.

“If we had devolution some years ago, we wouldn’t have been waiting 50 years to complete it,” he added. “I’m very happy that at last we’ve a scheme to finish off the Cinderella story of the piece.”

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