A key road improvement project on the A38, a vital route in and out of Birmingham, may be scrapped to help finance increased defence expenditure, according to a Labour MP.
Scheme under threat
The plan to upgrade junctions on the A38 between Birmingham and the M1 at Mansfield was included in the government's £27 billion road investment strategy for England earlier this year. It aims to reduce congestion and improve safety on the busy A-road.
However, Labour MP Jonathan Davies, who represents Mid-Derbyshire, fears the scheme could become a casualty of the government's Defence Investment Plan, which requires all departments to contribute one per cent of their capital budgets from this year.
Defence spending priorities
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis told the Commons that the plan includes an extra £15 billion investment into defence. He stated that “tough choices have had to be made” and that the government must “reprioritise resource and activity in order to best safeguard the security of our nation.”
Mr Davies acknowledged mixed local reactions: “Some local people would welcome that scheme not going ahead, particularly on environmental grounds, but others will see that cancellation as a brake on economic growth. Now, we need economic growth to fund our defence.”
Economic impact concerns
The MP urged Mr Jarvis to work with him to influence the Treasury and the Department for Transport to secure more investment for Derby, so that the local economy can thrive and contribute to defence through future public expenditure.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed in a written statement that the Department for Transport “will provide up to £700 million of savings from roads funding” as part of its contribution to the defence plan.
Other projects face uncertainty
Labour Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer also criticised the uncertainty surrounding the A46 Newark Bypass widening scheme near his Lincoln constituency. He wrote on X: “I am disappointed by the uncertainty today about the A46 Newark Bypass widening scheme. I support further funding for defence but the A46 upgrade programme is well-advanced, long-awaited, excellent value for money and of strategic importance to both Lincoln and the region.”
The A46 scheme, according to the Department for Transport's road investment strategy, “will support sectors which are dominant in the local economy and reliant on roads for growth, including manufacturing and logistics.” Mr Falconer said he would seek an “urgent meeting” with ministers to discuss the decision and explore whether a credible route forward exists for the project.
