Conference to spotlight road network

Jun 30 2006 By The Journal

Leaders of the Go For Jobs campaign will spell out concerns over the economic impact of the North's poor road network at a top conference next month.

Speakers from the North East Chamber of Commerce and The Journal will take part in a debate at a convention of senior travel planners from across the country. They will go head-to-head with the Highways Agency in a debate on whether attitudes to travel planning in the North-East are damaging business. The event, in Newcastle Civic Centre, has been organised by the Association of Commuter Transport, an organisation of employers who promote travel plans as a solution to congestion.

The Go For Jobs campaign, which has argued that the region's roads are holding back business, this week secured promises from Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman over the use of Article 14 notices to delay job-creating developments because of fears over congestion.

ACT decided to stage their national conference in the region in response to the impact of the campaign. Director John Waugh said: "We wanted to bring our national conference to this part of the country to look at the innovative and exciting ideas being worked on and because the region is engaged in the debate over what to do about congestion - do we expand the road network and start building new roads or encourage public transport walking and cycling to reduce the numbers of cars on the road?

"In the North-East that debate has really got going and we wanted to tap into that."

NECC policy director Andrew Sugden will lead the debate, along with Journal regional affairs correspondent Ross Smith. Highways Agency North divisional director John Bagley, and Newcastle councillor Stephen Psallidas, representing transport campaign group Sustrans, will oppose them.

Mr Sugden said yesterday: "While travel planning serves a purpose, we need to address the Catch 22 situation where the region's economy is held back by lack of decent road infrastructure."

Sponsors of the event include Northern Rock, whose office complex at Rainton Bridge is being held up by an Article 14 order. However, Dr Ladyman has announced he expects the problem to be cleared up within four weeks.