'Jam buster' in new jobs hope

Nov 17 2006 By Ross Smith And Helen Livingstone, The Journal

Committed to investing in transport links
From Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman

This Government knows that good transport links make all the difference when it comes to accessing jobs, healthcare, education and recreation.

Transport links also influence where companies choose to invest and provide jobs.

That's why this Government is committed to investing in transport.

On the first anniversary of the Newcastle Journal's Go for Jobs campaign, I want to highlight just a few examples of the investment we are making to improve transport links for the North-East.

The region will benefit greatly from the £600m being spent to upgrade the A1 through Yorkshire to motorway standard.

In Tyne and Wear alone, local transport investment has gone up by 73% in real terms over the last five years, with over £200m spent on major schemes.

The region's authorities also received a record £573m for local transport improvements between 2001 and 2006.

Local authorities have delivered a range of highly innovative schemes for improving public transport.

A good example is the extension of the Tyne and Wear Metro to Sunderland and the significantly improved interchange between the Metro and bus services at Four Lane Ends.

Durham City's Park and Ride scheme is helping to reduce congestion in the city.

Looking to the future, we know that worsening congestion will increasingly threaten jobs, growth and prosperity.

We have opened the debate on road pricing which, if designed carefully, has the potential to cut congestion without significantly restricting the freedom of travel.

I know that Article 14 directions have been a concern to many and they are often described as `barriers' to development.

So I want to take this opportunity to explain why the Highways Agency sometimes issues an Article 14 Direction.

The Agency works with local authorities and developers to find ways to bring about new developments that do not create new road safety and congestion problems.

If the developer has not worked through the proposals with the Agency before submitting their plans, the Agency can issue an Article 14 direction to give them the time they need to find a solution.

The Agency does find those solutions.

This was the case for the Newcastle Great Park development, Durham Tees Valley Airport, the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate and the Victoria Park development.

During the last two years over 240 planning applications were referred to the Highways Agency in the North-East. Only in four instances did an Article 14 direction result in a refusal of planning permission. None of these cases was a development that involved many jobs.

Nevertheless, I accept the Highways Agency needs to make sure it is seen as a part of the Jobs solution and not part of the problem. If developers commit to early engagement, I promise the Highways Agency will do its part.

I can assure readers that the Government is committed to assisting growth and development in the region by supporting new and existing jobs, with well planned and integrated transport solutions.

Page 4: Drivers pay price for Government aid