Delay to decision to dual A1 disappointing and surprising, Northumberland County Council leader says

The government announced on Tuesday it would be pushing back a decision on whether to dual the A1 until June next year, two and a half years after it was originally anticipated.

The news had already been met with anger and criticism from opposition politicians, and Cllr Glen Sanderson has now voiced his own disappointment at the move.

Cllr Sanderson, who has led the council since 2021 and represents the Longhorsley ward, pledged to continue lobbying the government to give the scheme the go-ahead.

He said: “There should not be a line on a map which decides who gets how much to spend on roads.

"Thousands of vehicles use the road and pay very large amounts of road tax. They deserve and must have a road for the age in which we live, not one from the 1950s.

“Having been involved with so many others campaigning to see this road dualed I am not just disappointed but surprised at today’s announcement.

“So much preparation has taken place and money already spent, it seems to me the wrong conclusion to reach.

“That said, the door is still open and I will continue to lobby the government for the sake of everyone who uses this road, the residents, the businesses, and the many tourists who visit us each year.

“While we know money is tight, so committing to the whole scheme may not be possible at this time, I would have expected we could get going with smaller sections of the project to at least make some progress.

"I will be speaking to the Secretary of State at the first opportunity to push hard to get this hugely important scheme moving forward.”

The delay was revealed in Parliament by Minister of State for Transport, Huw Merriman. He said it had been “necessary” to extend the deadline for the decision and said it would allow more time for the application to be considered.

The decision, originally due on January 5 2022, was delayed for “further consideration of environmental matters,” which Mr Merriman also referenced in his speech on Tuesday.