Chancellor announces A1 upgrade to be completed (From The Northern Echo)
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Chancellor announces A1 upgrade to be completed
1:24pm Wednesday 5th December 2012 in News
By Joe Willis, Regional Chief Reporter
THE Chancellor has announced plans to complete the £300m upgrade of the A1 after the project was scrapped in 2010 to cut costs.
It means a 12-mile stretch of the A1 between Leeming Bar and Barton in North Yorkshire will be upgraded to motorway. Work could start as earkly as next year.
The stretch, known as the missing link, was due to be improved along with the road between Dishforth and Leeming Bar, but only the upgrade of the southern section went ahead.
The announcement, made by George Osborne to Parliament in his autumn statement, was described as “brilliant news” by North Yorkshire county councillor Carl Les, who has been campaigning for the upgrade to be completed.
He said: “It will greatly improve the economic performance of the North of England and Yorkshire.
“It's also very good news for the local communities on either side of the A1.”
The decision to cancel the upgrade was criticised in November last year by North Yorkshire Coroner Michael Oakley at the inquest of elderly couple, William and Dorothy Pritchard, who died after they tried to cross the A1 near Catterick Garrison through a gap in the central reservation.
The upgrade will mean there is continuous motorway from London to Newcastle.
Comments(16)
David Lacey
says...
2:56pm Wed 5 Dec 12
outragedofmiltonkeynes
says...
3:27pm Wed 5 Dec 12
stevegg
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3:38pm Wed 5 Dec 12
joedarlo45
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3:46pm Wed 5 Dec 12
hen??
garethhowell
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4:01pm Wed 5 Dec 12
is thesunabovetheyardarm
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4:49pm Wed 5 Dec 12
Despite those minor errors, this is still great news!
ajtib3
says...
5:35pm Wed 5 Dec 12
In effect this is yet another U-turn by this useless chancellor. If these sort of projects had not been cut in 2010 there may have been more prospect of growth in the economy and less likelihood of the second-dip (and third-dip to come) recession.
David Lacey
says...
6:02pm Wed 5 Dec 12
ajtib3
says...
6:22pm Wed 5 Dec 12
David Lacey wrote:You do make me laugh, David!
They found the money and changed their minds, only a complete and utter fool would find something to complain about here.
spragger
says...
7:39pm Wed 5 Dec 12
Kilma-
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8:47pm Wed 5 Dec 12
next up should be an upgrade to the western bypass
ajtib3
says...
9:05pm Wed 5 Dec 12
spragger wrote:For the benefit of business in the NE this should have been done years ago. However, it was Osborne who abandoned it when it could have been done by now. That was a mistake.
Some are never satisfied .. and never will be ..
In effect all he has done today is admit it - it shows how little he knew about generating growth in the economy.
If this was his only mistake and he's rectified it you could give him some credit - but sadly his whole economic policy has been shown to be a mess and these belated attempts to boost growth now are too little too late.
johnny_p
says...
3:09pm Thu 6 Dec 12
johnny_p
says...
3:11pm Thu 6 Dec 12
ajtib3 wrote:So if "it should have been done years ago" why didn't Labour do it?
spragger wrote:For the benefit of business in the NE this should have been done years ago. However, it was Osborne who abandoned it when it could have been done by now. That was a mistake.
Some are never satisfied .. and never will be ..
In effect all he has done today is admit it - it shows how little he knew about generating growth in the economy.
If this was his only mistake and he's rectified it you could give him some credit - but sadly his whole economic policy has been shown to be a mess and these belated attempts to boost growth now are too little too late.
Hysterical!
ajtib3
says...
3:58pm Thu 6 Dec 12
johnny_p wrote:If Labour weren't doing it how could Osborne cancel it in 2010? - give your head a shake!
ajtib3 wrote:So if "it should have been done years ago" why didn't Labour do it?
spragger wrote:For the benefit of business in the NE this should have been done years ago. However, it was Osborne who abandoned it when it could have been done by now. That was a mistake.
Some are never satisfied .. and never will be ..
In effect all he has done today is admit it - it shows how little he knew about generating growth in the economy.
If this was his only mistake and he's rectified it you could give him some credit - but sadly his whole economic policy has been shown to be a mess and these belated attempts to boost growth now are too little too late.
Hysterical!
spragger says...
1:36pm Wed 5 Dec 12
Along with all the investment in Catterick Camp it means this often forgotten part of North Yorkshire will be buoyant.
Jobs, employment and a safer access to the North.
Well done!