Greg backs West End regeneration in new Highways Agency row (Greg Stone)

Greg backs West End regeneration in new Highways Agency row

February 19, 2007 1:26 PM

Greg is again quoted in the Journal's lead story today.

You can't have it both ways on homes

Feb 19 2007

By Ross Smith, The Journal

The Government was last night told to "decide what it wants" after its road bosses warned the A1 may not cope with new homes backed by a separate Whitehall department.

The Highways Agency - which manages trunk roads for Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander - has tabled a string of concerns over multi-million pound plans for Newcastle's West End because they may put extra cars on the Western bypass.

But there was anger last night that they could stall a project which was developed through the Pathfinder housing programme championed by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly.

Newcastle councillor Greg Stone, who played a leading role in designing the scheme, said: "The Highways Agency is failing to deliver joined up government."

It echoes similar objections to the Walker Riverside housing schemes in the East End of the city, and a series of blocks on business developments highlighted by The Journal and North East Chamber of Commerce through the Go For Jobs campaign.

The city council is planning the massive redevelopment in an effort to encourage people back to Scotswood and Benwell - an area that has suffered severe population decline and seen hundreds of homes demolished in recent years.

It includes plans for 2,100 homes by 2021, kick-started by an "Expo" in 2010 showcasing latest house design, around the junction of Armstrong Road and Whitehouse Road.

But in response to the plans, the Highways Agency said: "The Agency would need to be consulted to ensure that the residential developments required to support such population increases can be satisfactorily accommodated within the transport infrastructure, particularly the A1." On the Expo itself, it said: "The Agency would have concerns in relation to the potential impact of the... development upon the A1."

The agency has submitted a 19-page document which included a prediction of how many people from each individual block of housing proposed in the plan would travel on the A1 at rush hour.

The document reveals that the A1 will operate at 78% beyond its capacity in some sections by 2021 even if there is no redevelopment work in the West End. Nevertheless, proposals to upgrade the route have still not been published.

The Highways Agency insisted: "Highways Agency is working with both Newcastle and Gateshead councils to develop procedures for prioritising and coordinating development proposals whilst giving due consideration to the implications of generating increased traffic flows on the strategic road network, in particular the A1 Western bypass. These procedures will also help local planning authorities achieve their economic regeneration and competitiveness aims by coordinating plans to develop growth and jobs.

"This approach should also allow for greater coordination between developers, the local authority and the Highways Agency." But NECC spokesman Mike Parker said: "The Government's got to decide what it wants. It's talking about building sustainable communities, encouraging more businesses, jobs and economic growth. Yet any effort that's made to do something about that is stalled or hindered through underfunding of the roads by the Government."

Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland said: "This is unnecessary bureaucracy and a waste of public money. I am quite certain these developments will go ahead - all they're doing is unnecessarily delaying them."

Coun Stone, who was responsible for initial development of the plans in his former role as executive member for regeneration, said: "The key issue is for the Highways Agency to recognise that to oppose the very important work being done in Benwell and Scotswood would go against all the policies and messages of support from Government on regeneration."

Greg Stone