A group of MPs representing Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Suffolk have written to the Secretary of State for Transport urging him to approve more investment in the A47.
The MPs are supporting the A47 Alliance’s priorities for the next Road Investment Strategy period at three strategic locations along the A47:
- Dualling the Acle Straight to Great Yarmouth in east Norfolk
- Dualling Tilney to East Winch in west Norfolk, including Hardwick flyover dualling at King’s Lynn
- Dualling the A47 between the A16 junction east of Peterborough and Walton Highway east of Wisbech. This involves improvements at Junction 15 in Peterborough.
The A47 Alliance represents the businesses, local authorities, Local Economic Partnerships, MPs, and others.
Investing in these priority schemes would help level up in the East of England and create a £330m uplift in Gross Value Added, generate £200m benefits from enhanced productivity, unlock 125,000 homes restricted by poor regional capacity and 75,000 jobs along the route, bring about benefits of £40m in regional markets by reducing delays and congestion, and reduce additional costs to business due to delays.
During the election campaign the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer both visited East Anglia and heard from businesses about the importance of the A47 to the region’s prosperity.
Commenting on the letter, James Wild MP for North West Norfolk said:
“Now is the right moment for an infrastructure revolution. We have come together as MPs representing constituencies that rely on the A47 to make the case for more investment that will boost jobs and growth. By backing these schemes we can make a real difference for businesses and people across the east of England and help spread prosperity.”
As well as making the case for additional investment, the MPs have also called for Highways England to be held to account for delivery of schemes approved in the Road Investment Strategy 1.
The MPs who have signed the letter are:
James Wild MP - Member of Parliament for North West Norfolk
Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP - Member of Parliament for South West Norfolk
Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP - Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth
George Freeman MP - Member of Parliament for Mid Norfolk
Jerome Mayhew MP - Member of Parliament for Broadland
Richard Bacon MP - Member of Parliament for South Norfolk
Duncan Baker MP - Member of Parliament for North Norfolk
Chloe Smith MP - Member of Parliament for Norwich North
Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP - Member of Parliament for North East Cambridgeshire
Paul Bristow MP - Member of Parliament for Peterborough
Peter Aldous MP - Member of Parliament for Waveney
TEXT OF THE LETTER
Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP
Secretary of State for Transport
Great Minster House
33 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 4DR
23 January 2020
Dear Grant,
Re: RIS2 Investment in A47
We write to you as MPs representing Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk constituencies to underline the case for more investment in the A47 in the Road Infrastructure Strategy 2 (RIS2).
The A47 is the main east-west economic corridor in East Anglia. As both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have publicly recognised during their recent visits to the area and in the House, dualling the A47 is vital to support existing businesses and attract more jobs and investment, to improve connectivity, to reduce congestion, to increase journey reliability, to reduce fatalities, and to unlock much needed housing growth in transport corridors.
The A47 Alliance which represents the businesses, local authorities, Local Economic Partnerships, MPs and others along the route wrote to you in December setting out the strategic investment case. There is a common goal of a fully dualled A47 from Lowestoft to the A1 at Peterborough by 2030. However, the agreed priorities for the 2020-25 RIS2 endorsed by us and the Alliance are to commit to investment at three strategic locations along the A47:
- Dualling the Acle Straight to Great Yarmouth in east Norfolk
- Dualling Tilney to East Winch in west Norfolk, including Hardwick flyover dualling at King’s Lynn
- Dualling the A47 between the A16 junction east of Peterborough and Walton Highway east of Wisbech. This involves improvements at Junction 15 in Peterborough.
These three priorities would help level up in the East of England and create a £330m uplift in Gross Value Added, generate £200m benefits from enhanced productivity, unlock 125,000 homes restricted by poor regional capacity and 75,000 jobs along the route, bring about benefits of £40m in regional markets by reducing delays and congestion, and reduce additional costs to business due to delays.
We agree with the Prime Minister that this is the right moment for an infrastructure revolution in this country. It is vital that the A47 as an essential part of our national infrastructure is upgraded to promote and accelerate economic growth and prosperity across East Anglia.
As well as securing this new investment, I would welcome your assurances that Highways England will be held to account and guarantee that all previously committed investment A47 schemes in the Roads Investment Strategy 1 will be delivered by the published target dates.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet you to discuss the A47 before final decisions are taken.
I am copying this letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Yours ever,
James Wild MP
Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP
George Freeman MP
Jerome Mayhew MP
Richard Bacon MP
Duncan Baker MP
Chloe Smith MP
Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP
Paul Bristow MP
Peter Aldous MP
