Tories attacked for protecting A14 project from national cuts (Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats)

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats <info@cambslibdems.org.uk>

Tories attacked for protecting A14 project from national cuts

May 18, 2010 1:43 PM

Sebastian Kindersley

Cambridgeshire Tories, who have united to back the £1.4 billion widening of the A14, have come under fire from Liberal Democrats for "protecting their pet project" from scathing national cuts.

South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and Huntingdonshire District Council have joined forces to call for the scheme to go-ahead.

But Lib Dems claim the project should be scrapped and faster, cheaper safety improvements implemented instead, especially in light of the new government's plan to cut the national deficit.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor, Nichola Harrison said: "Local Tories are trying to have their cake and eat it. At the election they stood for cutting deeply and quickly into the budget deficit, but they are still trying to promote vastly expensive old-style road-building projects like the A14 widening.

"The A14 can and should be improved at a much lower cost through a smarter, more focused scheme, leaving money in the treasury for spending on things like Chesterton railway station, which will benefit local people and the environment.

"The A14 scheme has been flawed from the start. As well placing an excessive burden on the taxpayer, the current scheme will encourage more car journeys, bringing severe environmental impacts from increased heavy traffic."

Cambridgeshire County Councillor, Sebastian Kindersley said: "Nationally, the Tories are saying that cuts have to be made swiftly and across the board to tackle the massive black hole in our finances; but locally the Tories have moved very quickly to try to make sure that the A14 project is not one of those affected.

"I find this absolutely incredible. This project has been delayed and delayed and still people are dying on this road. We could implement a programme of safety improvements costing a fraction of the billions of pounds price tag for the road widening scheme and save lives.

"The Tories signed up to our election pledge to fight climate change; I cannot see how this fits with a massive road project that would increase carbon emissions from the building phase and the extra traffic that would use this road."