Sponsored by
Cash cuts could scupper M62 hard shoulder plans
PLANS to open up the hard shoulder of motorways in West Yorkshire to ease transport problems could fall victim to a £30 billion funding blackhole.
A leaked industry memo has warned of looming spending cuts on major transport projects as the cash-strapped Treasury attempts to restore order to the public finances.
The document reveals how the Department for Transport (DfT) is braced for a reduction in spending on major projects that could total 28.9 billion over the next decade.
The memo, written following a presentation by the DfT's most senior civil servant, Robert Devereux, said: "We have been expressing concern for sometime now that spending cuts post-2010 could be significant. What was said at this meeting confirms our worst fears."
Deep spending cuts would put a question mark over a number of major schemes which have been pencilled in for future years, including a congestion-busting 6 billion plan to open up 520 miles of hard shoulder.
Work was due to start in March 2012 to open up the hard shoulder on the M62 between junctions 25 and 30 from Brighouse to Leeds.
By 2015 work is also due to have started on the M1 between junctions 29 and 42 near Wakefield.
These schemes were drawn up because the alternative of widening the motorways was deemed as too expensive.
The size of the shortfall will also heighten concerns – as revealed last week in the YEP – that regional transport spending pots will be raided.
The 300m Leeds trolleybus scheme is due to be bankrolled from the regional funding allocation.
Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland said: "Leeds is already massively underfunded in terms of transport when you compare it to other cities in the UK.
"I am deeply concerned that we may now face further cuts in the region, especially as the Government continues to pump funding into London and the South-East."
A DfT spokesman said: "The calculation referred to is Long-Term Funding Guideline which is based on inflation and GDP growth.
"These calculations in no way represent final budgets for the periods referred to and therefore it would be misleading to make assumptions about future spending based on them in isolation."
Join the YEP's Reader Panel and find out how you can directly contribute to the
development of the YEP and ensure we produce the best possible newspaper
and website based on what YOU want.
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/custompages/CustomPage.aspx?pageID=79491
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 0 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
