MP for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart, today said he was disappointed to hear the much needed southern Beverley relief road scheme had been put on hold as part of a cost cutting exercise by the new government.
Graham said: “I will be taking this up as a matter of urgency with the minister responsible. This bypass is vital to the future of Beverley – its economic growth, its tourism potential and to help preserve its historic past.
“A great deal of work has already gone into developing the plans for the bypass, a great deal of money has already been spent. I campaigned for the bypass and I will continue to work hard to make it happen.”
Across the country transport projects worth a total of £1.6 billion, including bypasses, bridges and metro systems, have all been suspended.
The government said it was stopping all schemes not already under contract.
It has been widely reported that many councils whose projects have been put on hold were taken aback by the scale of the Government’s rethink.
On his first day in his Westminster office, the Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, acknowledged he would consider every spending request through the “jaundiced eye” of someone who had spent three years as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
He announced that all transport initiatives not already under contract would be suspended pending financial review in the autumn and the outcome of a joint Treasury/DfT rethink of how spending decisions are made.
“I am taking this action to ensure that no taxpayers’ money is spent unnecessarily on transport schemes that are now under review,” he said.
Plans to improve the busy A164 between the Humber Bridge and Beverley have also been suspended.
Graham added: “While I fully understand the need to rebuild the country’s economy after 13 years of Labour over spending and over promising, we must not forget there are some items on the shopping list which are vital – the bypass is one of those.”