‘Use HS2 cash on Maidstone Leeds-Langley relief road’ KCC says
Money salvaged from the abandoned phase of the HS2 high-speed railway should be rechanneled to ignite construction of the 'much-need' Leeds-Langley relief road, a Kent councillor said.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the cancellation of the rest of the High Speed Rail 2 project , Birmingham to Manchester, on Wednesday (4 October) due to increasing costs. He says the £36bn saved will be reallocated across the country,
In Kent, he pledged to invest in rail track that would provide a welcome renovation to the jam-packed Brenley Corner intersection near Faversham.
This announcement was hailed enthusiastically by local Member of Parliament Helen Whately in whose district the crossing, linking the A2, M2 and Thanet Way, is found. She stated she has crusaded for renovations to the junction since she was elected MP eight years prior.
Money saved by cancelling some legs of HS2 - including the route between Birmingham and Manchester - will go towards transport projects throughout the UK (Image: HS2/PA Wire)
Advocates for a relief road to decompress routes between the A20 and A274 in Maidstone are now eyeing up £1bn the PM has earmarked for the Southeast.
Kent County Councilman Gary Cooke said: "If the capital is present for the much-required improvements at Brenley Corner, I am optimistic the government will find the relief road rationale for this extremely clogged section of Maidstone equally convincing.
"I have been appealing for this for more years than I can recollect to ease pressure on a massive chunk of this borough. A relief road is absolutely imperative."
Housing expansion in the borough has led to a monumental increase in car usage but critics say the roads simply cannot bear the volumes.
In the past, Mrs Whately, the social care minister, has been an ardent proponent of the Leeds-Langley relief road which is also in her constituency. The Local Democracy Reporting Service enquired if she will advocate for a new road in south Maidstone but she did not respond.
After Mr Sunak's pronouncement, she stated: "I am pragmatic we're not going to see Brenley Corner resolved instantaneously. This is a long-haul verdict regarding the infrastructure we require to sustain our economy into the future."
Kent County Councilman Antony Hook, leader of the Lib Dem group at County Hall, said: "This reveals to me that Helen Whately is uneasy about relinquishing her seat. And if the PM can unearth capital for Brenley Corner, can he not secure the financing for the Leeds-Langley proposition? As far as Brenley Corner is concerned, people will believe it when they perceive it."
No information was furnished about how the finances will be utilized at Brenley Corner, but action has long been called for at the junction which slows to a standstill during rush hour.
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References
- ^ : (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
- ^ Stranded schoolchildren, missed hospital appointments and villages cut off by Kent bus driver crisis (www.kentlive.news)
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- ^ award-winning traffic and travel Facebook group here. (www.facebook.com)
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