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South Bedfordshire roads and housing issues raised with the Prime Minister
10 May 2007
On Wednesday 9 May the day before he announced he would be resigning as Prime Minister on the 27 June, Cllr. Norman Costin, the leader of South Bedfordshire District Council, Cllr. Madeline Russell, the leader of Bedfordshire County Council and Andrew Selous, MP for South West Bedfordshire met Prime Minister Tony Blair in his office at the House of Commons to ask him to intervene to ensure that the key road needed for South Bedfordshire, the A5-M1 link is built well before the 2015 or 2016 current anticipated completion date.
The Prime Minister was asked to investigate whether the taxpayer is receiving value for money from the Highways Agency who have said the road will cost £124.3 million when it was due to cost ‘only’ £48 million in September 2005. The Highways Agency are also intending to spend £14.6 million more than is necessary by building junction 11a on the M1 for the A5-M1 link, after the M1 is widened between junctions 10 to 13, rather than at the same time.
The Prime Minister was also told that John Prescott’s ‘Sustainable Communities Plan’ for 43,000 additional houses in South Bedfordshire would only work if the infrastructure promised for the housing growth was delivered, and the key requirement was the A5-M1 link which would help every town and village in South Bedfordshire and beyond.
The Prime Minister listened attentively during the meeting and asked about the position of the East of England regional assembly on the A5-M1 link. The East of England have stated repeatedly that they could not prioritise the A5-M1 link any higher, without stopping roads they are currently building.
The Prime Minister promised to write to Andrew Selous once he had investigated the matter. Officials from the Department for Transport (which the Highways Agency reports to) and 10 Downing Street were present at the meeting.
