Report · Dubai Online
Four North Yorkshire MPs have called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to make dualling more of the A64 a priority for his government. In a joint letter, the MPs said the road was a "vital economic artery" linking York with Malton, Scarborough and the Yorkshire coast, as well as providing important connections to other towns across the county. Significant stretches remain single carriageway, which they said caused congestion, unreliable journey times and acted as a barrier to investment, tourism and economic growth.
Number 10 has been approached for comment. The MPs are Conservatives Kevin Hollinrake, who represents Thirsk and Malton, Sir Alec Shelbrooke, whose seat is Wetherby and Easingwold, and Skipton and Ripon's Sir Julian Smith, alongside Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Servic e, Hollinrake said he and fellow MPs had campaigned for improvements for more than a decade, repeatedly raising the issue with ministers.
The Hopgrove to Barton section was previously included in the government's roads programme, with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying in 2020 that work should enable the scheme to be funded for construction during the 2025 to 2030 investment period. The York and North Yorkshire devolution deal subsequently stated the government would consider proposals to improve the A64 between Hopgrove Roundabout and Barton Hill as part of decisions on its third Road Investment Strategy. However, the MPs said that more than 10 years after the campaign began there was still no clear route to delivering the upgrade.
In their letter, the MPs stated the creation of Number 10 North was an "opportunity" to break the deadlock around dualling the A64. "Dualling the A64 would improve safety and journey times, strengthen connections between York and our coastal and rural communities and, crucially, unlock investment, productivity and growth across North Yorkshire," they said. They have asked the prime minister to make the A64 a priority for Number 10 North and work with them to establish a route towards finally dualling the road.
"This is an opportunity to demonstrate in a tangible way what your commitment to growth across the North can mean in practice," they wrote. The MPs also requested a meeting with Burnham and his Number 10 North team to discuss taking the project forward. North Yorkshire Council has previously backed the dualling of the road and pledged to work cross-party with national and local politicians to secure the upgrade.
York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Sakith has previously pointed out that both Labour and Conservative governments have chosen not to press ahead with the project.
Source: BBC
