Bath MP Ben Howlett met with the Department of Transport in Westminster again earlier this week to discuss the support for the A36/46 link road project.
He has now written to Bath and North East Somerset Council to ensure a timeline and feasibility study are forthcoming, ahead of planned Ministerial visits from the Department in the next few months.
Ben met with Transport Ministers to discuss next steps, and then briefed the Council to ensure that Bath’s transport projects have the best chance of securing the additional infrastructure funding that is becoming available in a more rapid timeframe than the nearest World Heritage site, Stonehenge and its associated transport woes on the A303.
Ben has campaigned on this project since his election, with a parliamentary petition of over 2800 signatures delivered to Parliament, backing for the project from the Chancellor and Minister for Roads, as well as meeting with Highways England to ensure the projects inclusion in forward planning for national route funding.
Ben said: “Having seen how long it has taken for the A303 project, with its own World Heritage site issues to progress, I am determined that Bath’s transport woes will not take another 30 years to resolve.
“This is the case I put forward to the Roads Minister this week. The political will is there to ensure this project has a proper feasibility study drawn up and business case made without decades of delay.
“I am also delighted to have explained the importance of this crucial infrastructure project to the Conservative candidate for West of England Mayor, Tim Bowles.
“The new West of England Mayor will control the purse strings for these essential, and enormous infrastructure projects. It is vital that Bath residents engage with the election of a new Mayor to ensure Bath benefits to the maximum from the £1 billion devolved settlement the West of England have secured.”
Tim Bowles, Conservative candidate for West of England Mayor, is also supportive of Ben’s A36/46 link road campaign and said: “Ben is a tireless community champion and, if elected, I look forward to working with him to explore all options to improve transportation for everyone who lives, works and visits this historic city.
“It is vital people vote on May 4 for their new combined authority Mayor as the role includes responsibility for £1bn to invest in projects like the A36/46 link road which would boost Bath’s economy while cutting pollution and traffic jams to improve life for everyone living and working in and around Bath.”