A14 campaign boosted by MEPs’ backing

A14 campaign boosted by MEPs’ backing

The campaign to secure government investment at 7 pinch points along the A14 in Suffolk has received the full backing of six MEPs from the East of England.

 Patrick O’Flynn, Geoffrey Van Orden, Stuart Agnew, David Campbell-Bannerman, Alex Mayer and John Flack have all written to Suffolk Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, John Dugmore, pledging their “collective support” for the No More A14 Delays in Suffolk campaign.

The campaign which is led by Suffolk Chamber and chaired by Bury St Edmunds MP Jo Churchill, has already submitted a business case as to why the pinch points need to be included in the second Roads Investment Strategy which will cover the period from 2020 to 2025 and will attract £850m of funding.

The MEPS state in their letter that “considering the significance of the Port of Felixstowe to UK trade and exporting, we hope that this initiative will enjoy the support of Highways England and, ultimately of the Department for Transport. Of course it will also support the objectives and efforts of the Department for International Trade.”

Highways England are due to publish their Strategic Road Network Initial Report this year, which will provide a long list of those projects that have met the basic criteria for further evaluation. The Department of Transport will then engage in consulting with the public in 2018 before a final decision is made.

The No More A14 Delays in Suffolk campaign still needs further up-to-date information about this highway’s congestion problems – and their impact – on businesses and workers. Companies  and residents are asked to share their experiences by going to: https://twitter.com/NoA14DelaysSfk or emailing [email protected]

“The intervention of the MEPs is both very timely and very welcome” said John Dugmore. “They make the crucial point that an A14 in Suffolk that is fit for the purposes of the twenty-first century is vital not just for the local economy but for our national prosperity as well.”

 

 

All articles on this news site are submitted by registered contributors of SuffolkWire. Find out how to subscribe and submit your stories here »