A45 dualling plea from MP

Plans for dual a busy East Northants road that have been in discussion for years have once again been raised in Parliament.

The dualling of the A45 between Thrapston and Stanwick has been talked about by politicians for many years, but there has been little progress on the ground.

This week, East Northants MP Tom Pursglove once raised the issue in Parliament in an attempt to push the scheme forward.

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The dualling is seen as vital to ease traffic and improve the link between the A14 and the M1.

Back in 2014, ministers said that although work would not begin until at least 2020, they promised that environmental studies would begin.

That has not happened, so Mr Pursglove raised the subject again.

In a written question to Department for Transport Parliamentary Under-Secretary Jesse Norman, he said: “What steps his department has taken to conduct an environmental study of the dualling of the A45 between Stanwick and Thrapston.”

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Replying in Parliament yesterday (Thursday) Mr Norman said: “The road investment strategy announced the Government’s intention to develop a scheme to upgrade the A45 between Stanwick and Thrapston to a full dual carriageway. The scheme is at an early stage of development and a preliminary environmental study will be carried out as part of this development work.”

Mr Pursglove replied: “This dualling is something that I have campaigned particularly hard for. It has the overwhelming support of local people and would do much to improve the strategically important link between the A14 and the M1. The environmental study is key to progress, so will the Minister join me in pushing for that work to be carried out as soon as possible?”

And Mr Norman responded: “My hon. Friend has been a tireless and energetic campaigner on this issue, as on so many others, and I can assure him that the environmental study will be one of the first items to be completed under the options assessment work.”