Government pledges new help for Harrogate traffic

Harrogate commuters are to benefit from a half a million pound new investmemt from the Government at the A1.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling pictured today at Produmax in Baildon.Transport Secretary Chris Grayling pictured today at Produmax in Baildon.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling pictured today at Produmax in Baildon.

During a visit to Yorkshire today, Friday, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced that Highways England was to spend £500,000 on improvements to the A1 at junction 47 near Harrogate, helping to increase capacity on the road, reduce queuing and improve journey time.

Talking to the Harrogate Advertiser at leading flight controls engineering firm Produmax based at Baildon near Shipley, Chris Grayling, also said he had not seen an proper proposals for a relief road but would look at it if there was a need.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: "This Government is investing record amounts in our roads, spending £6 billion on improving journeys in our towns and cities and boosting local economie“We are spending £3bn on making journeys in the North of England faster and more reliable, and tackling congestion."The upgrades to the A1 will be carried out by North Yorkshire County Council, supporting the creation of new jobs at the planned Flaxby Green Business Park.The money will come from Highways England’s £100 million fund to help local growth and housing schemes get off the ground.

When asked about the major rail timetable problems experienced across the north, he said things were getting better.He said: "I was in Harrogate with Andrew Jones MP at the railway station a month ago on the new trains we've delivered. We got positive feedback about them from passengers."A block of new trains are arrivng in the autumn across the north.

"Trains have a normal lifespan of 31 years. The reason we've had knackered old trains is because Labour governments didn't invest in them."He argued that the preceding day, Thursday had seen 92% of trains in the Northern Rail area hit their timetable targets.He said: "All the problems have happened while huge positive investment has been going in to make major railway improvements."It's been a huge frustration that a delay to a major electrification scheme at Blackpool has delayed everything."There's far more trains in the north now than six months ago.".

More news you may be interested in...