Green Light Given For southern Relief Road

The council is delighted that the Government has decided to fund the much needed and long awaited Beverley southern relief road.

In September, the council submitted its best and final bid for funding. As the project was in stiff competition with many others for a limited Government funding pot, the council identified further efficiencies and savings ensuring the scheme offered maximum value for money. As a result, the cost of the scheme was reduced by over £11 million to £27.3 million whilst the council’s contribution increased by more than £2 million to £6.6 million.

Planning permission for the revised scheme was granted by the council’s planning committee on 24 November 2011.

The 1.8 mile road will connect the A164 from Morrison’s roundabout to the A1174 Hull Road near Figham, providing a route around Beverley for through traffic and relieving congestion in the town, particularly around the historic Beverley Minster. It is estimated that the number of vehicles using Keldgate will reduce from 12,000 to 4,000 daily.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of the council, said: “I am delighted that the Government has agreed to fund the Beverley Southern Relief Road. It is pleasing that a project which in one form or another has been under consideration for decades has now finally come to fruition.

“We have worked hard to bring costs down and do all we can to ensure that the scheme was in the best possible position to win Government funding. It is great news that our efforts have paid off.

“The road is something all sections of the local community have been campaigning for and will result in much needed improvements to traffic flows, relief of congestion, and a better quality of life for all.”

Lord Haskins of Skidby, Chair of the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership, said:

“In our letter to the Transport Secretary in October, we fully supported East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s case for the Beverley Integrated Transport Plan.

“We fully appreciate that this project is vital to the economy of the town and are more than pleased that our collective voices have been heard and that the construction of the proposed single carriageway road, the bridge over the Hull-Beverley rail line, and the improvements to roundabouts have been given the go-ahead.

“The contribution from the Department for Transport towards the project is very welcome indeed and will certainly help boost economic growth in the town.”