No update to A66 dualling plan in Spending Review
No new details were announced in the Spending Review about the future of the A66, which runs across northern England.Plans to dual the road between Penrith in Cumbria and Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire were put on hold indefinitely by the government in 2024, citing a "black hole" in public finances.Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said he was "deeply disappointed and frustrated" over the lack of new information.Responding to a question in the Commons from Farron, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the decision over the scheme would be made by the Department for Transport at a later date.
She said: "We haven't set out every project that that's going to fund today and I'm sure the transport secretary will come to this House or the relevant select committee in due course."
Follow the latest reaction to the Spending ReviewKey points: What has the chancellor announced?
Farron said the road upgrade scheme was "critical for the north's economy, for east-west connectivity, and for saving lives"."I will keep up the pressure for ministers to approve this massively important project," he said.Labour MP for Penrith and Solway Markus Campbell-Savours said it was "vital" the upgrade was approved."This isn't simply about quicker journeys, this is about safety and economic development," he said.Before the 2024 general election, the Conservative government was moving ahead with plans for sections between the A1(M) and Penrith, but Labour put the project on hold alongside a number of others.Campaign group Transport Action Network (TAN) previously claimed the scheme would cost £1.5bn and increase carbon emissions by 2.7m tonnes.
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