Government refuses funding for Blyth Relief Road scheme

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 16:07 · Archive

The Government has refused to fund the £55m Blyth Relief Road in Northumberland despite planning permission being granted.

The Government has confirmed it will not fund the £55m Blyth Relief Road, a scheme intended to alleviate serious congestion in the town. The dual carriageway would connect two of Blyth's busiest roads, the A193 Cowpen Road and the A1061 Laverock Hall Road, each of which carries about 20,000 vehicles daily, with heavy traffic at peak times. Planning permission was granted in April and land for the project was earmarked in June.

Northumberland County Council's Conservative administration criticised the decision. Deputy leader Richard Wearmouth said the county had now seen over half a billion pounds in road funding cancelled by Labour, adding that the Government had chosen 16 other major road schemes through its Road Investment Strategy considered to be the best value for money. The council had already contributed £4.2m towards the scheme and had said it was willing to fund up to 15 per cent of the total cost.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said the decision had been made because of the challenging financial picture the government inherited and the need to focus on schemes offering the greatest benefits to local residents.

How it is being reported

• Government will not provide funding for £55m roadNorthumberland County Council has criticised the government's decision not to fund the road.BBC Tyne And Wear · 9 Oct, 15:39
• Major doubt on future of Blyth Relief Road as Government refuse to fund schemeIt was hoped the £55 million scheme in Northumberland would alleviate serious traffic congestion in the townChronicleLive · 9 Oct, 12:44

In this story: Blyth · Northumberland · Department for Transport · Northumberland County Council · Richard Wearmouth · Andy Burnham

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem