Government Criticised Over A66 Funding as A1 Dualling Dropped

National World - LocalTV

The Government is facing backlash in Northumberland after scrapping long-promised A1 upgrades while approving a £1.5 billion A66 project, sparking political tension and fears of electoral fallout.

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00:00Yes, the government is facing mounting criticism in Northumberland after giving the green light

00:06to a £1.5 billion dueling project for the A66, while cancelling long-anticipated plans

00:12to duel a major stretch of the A1 in the county. The A66 upgrade will create a continuous

00:18dual carriageway link between the M6 and Penriff and the A1 at Scotch Corner, promising to

00:24shave up to 12 minutes off journey times across the Pennines and improve east-west connectivities

00:29between Teesside and the Lake District. The project was prioritised in 2016 following a government

00:35study that ranked it ahead of alternative proposals to improve the A69. However, the decision has

00:42reignited frustrations in Northumberland, where the dueling of 13 miles of the A1 between

00:47Morpeth and Ellingham was scrapped in last year's autumn statement. That project has been given

00:53approval by the previous Conservative government, but rising costs estimates reportedly over

00:59£500 million led to its cancellation. Northumberland County Council's Conservative Deputy Leader,

01:07Councillor Richard Wearmouth, accused the Labour government of political bias and regional

01:12neglect. It is clear Labour were lying when they said there was no money for A1 dueling.

01:18There is plenty of money for such projects. Labour just don't think Northumberland is a priority,

01:24he said. He also criticised the county's newly elected Labour MPs for failing to fight our

01:30corner. Labour swiftly rejected the criticism, with a party spokesperson calling Wearmouth's

01:37comments rich coming from a party whose financial mismanagement had left the county with soaring

01:43infrastructure costs.

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