Fresh fears raised that Blyth Relief Road won't receive Government funding

Cllr Richard Wearmouth said he felt it was “very likely” the project would not receive the necessary cash from Government.

Last month, it was revealed that the cost of the scheme had increased from an estimated £46.8 million in 2023 to £59.9 million.

The relief road would provide a direct dual carriageway connection between the A192 Three Horseshoes roundabout and the A193 South Beach in Blyth in a bid to relieve congestion.

Traffic is a serious issue in the town, particularly at peak times, with the problem exacerbated in recent years by ongoing regeneration work closing roads and creating roadworks.

Cllr Wearmouth said: “We will continue to fight to make sure we get that final funding for the Blyth Relief Road and make sure that doesn’t get taken away from us.”

A new link road would be created to connect Chase Farm Drive, Tynedale Drive and Ogle Drive.

The previous preferred route, which would have connected the A189 at Shankhouse to the A193 at the Broadway Circle, is no longer available as the route passed through the development at Crofton Grange by Persimmon Homes and Wimpey and became unfeasible as work on the housing progressed.

Cllr Anna Watson, who represents Blyth’s Isabella ward, pointed out that the Conservative-led administration had been in power for eight years and failed to deliver anything to relieve traffic in the town.

She said: “Businesses in Blyth have suffered. We have at least 10 that have left the town.

“The original route was lost. That wasn’t the fault of Labour – the planning permission was lost in 2020 when the Conservatives were in administration.

“At the first budget meeting I was at in 2022, I was criticised for not voting for a budget that contained £18 million for the relief road. It is now £60 million, it has tripled in cost.

“I’m not sure the Government is going to find that money down the back of the sofa. A lot of roads projects were postponed by the previous Government and the relief road was postponed in March by your Government.

“Can we prioritise the section between Ogle Drive and Chase Park? This could have been done in the last eight years, which would have solved the problems we have got now.”

In 2023, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak included the relief road in a list of projects that would receive funding after the controversial scrapping of the £36bn northern leg of HS2.

At January’s meeting of the council’s cabinet, it was agreed to finally submit a planning application.

Cllr Wearmouth said: “What you’re suggesting makes perfect sense – I personally said when we were looking at the scheme that if we don’t do the Ogle Drive section it doesn’t make any sense because Blyth is too disconnected.

“That is what we are pushing for. The frustration unfortunately is we’re ploughing ahead, we have put money in to make sure we’re doing all the planning and design whilst we wait for the Government to catch up – but I think it is very likely that the current Government won’t honour the commitment of Rishi Sunak when he said he would fully fund it.”