Government Will Not Fund the £55m Blyth Relief Road

The Blyth Relief Road, a scheme that has been discussed for years and won planning permission this spring, will not receive government funding. The Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed the decision in early October, as reported by the BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service on 9 October.

What was planned

The £55m scheme would have created a new dual carriageway linking two of the town's busiest roads, the A193 Cowpen Road and the A1061 Laverock Hall Road, each of which carries around 20,000 vehicles a day. Planning permission was granted in April and land was earmarked in June. In July we reported on the council's approval of land for the Chase Farm Link, one part of the wider package, while a funding decision was still awaited.

Northumberland County Council had already spent £4.2m on the project and offered to cover 15% of the total cost, with the remainder dependent on government money.

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The relief road had planning permission, but the council's share covered only around 15% of the cost. Without DfT funding, the scheme cannot go ahead in its current form.

The government's position

The DfT said the scheme had not been funded by the previous government and that, given what it called a challenging financial picture, it can only progress road projects that offer good value for money. It has chosen to back 16 other major road schemes instead.

Reaction

Local politicians have responded in different ways. Deputy council leader Richard Wearmouth criticised the decision, saying the county has now seen more than half a billion pounds of roads funding cancelled, and that the council would look for regional funding instead.

Ian Lavery, Labour MP for Blyth and Ashington, said the project was "yet another project that was promised by the previous government without the funding required to deliver it". He said some residents would be relieved by the decision, and called for a new transport plan for the town. He plans to seek a meeting with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has said her combined authority will work with the council on alternative funding options.

What happens next

For now, there is no confirmed route to building the road. The council says it will keep exploring other funding sources, and we will report any developments.

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