Mayor warns cancellation of A38 and A46 road schemes risks homes, jobs and growth 

The Mayor of the East Midlands has urged the Government to keep two vital regional road schemes in its investment programme – warning cancelling them would put homes, jobs and economic growth at risk. 

Mayor Claire Ward’s intervention comes as the A38 Derby Junctions and A46 Newark Bypass road schemes are among those proposed for cancellation as the Government looks for savings from the Department for Transport to help meet increased defence spending. 

In her formal response to the Government consultation, Mayor Claire is calling for both schemes to remain in the investment programme, while asking ministers to work with the region on alternative funding and delivery options. 

Mayor Claire said: “Defence and transport infrastructure go hand in hand. I fully support the Government’s decision to strengthen our national defence, but we also need the roads and railways that allow our manufacturers, businesses and supply chains to grow. 

“If these schemes are cancelled, the Government needs to look at the full cost, not just the money it saves today. Years of work and public money have already gone into developing them. We should not throw that away only to find that we need the same infrastructure in the future and have to start again. 

“These are schemes that can help unlock homes, jobs and investment across the East Midlands. I want to work constructively with Government to find a way forward, but cancellation should not be the starting point.” 

Support for road schemes

The schemes have attracted support from businesses, local authorities, communities and political parties across the East Midlands. 

The Government consultation proposes reducing spending on improvements in the third Road Investment Strategy by about £315 million, as part of an overall reduction of about £428m. 

Mayor Claire says the immediate saving does not reflect the wider costs of cancellation, including money already spent, closing projects and losing design and development work. If the infrastructure is still needed in future, restarting the schemes could cost more.  

The A38 Derby Junctions scheme is important to growth plans across Derby and the surrounding area, where about 43,000 homes are planned by 2041. Local modelling suggests that without the scheme, congestion could mean at least 7,000 of those homes cannot be delivered. 

The A38 also serves major advanced manufacturing, aerospace, automotive and rail businesses and their supply chains. The wider A38, M42 and A42 corridor supports about 1.43 million jobs and generates about £70 billion in economic output. 

The A46 Newark Bypass is also important for housing, jobs, manufacturing and freight. The wider A46 corridor supports about 3.1m jobs, serves 6.3m people and generates about £155bn a year. 

Both road schemes would help the wider transport network by tackling major bottlenecks, reducing congestion on local roads and creating better conditions for buses, walking and cycling. 

Mayor Claire said: “People rightly want better buses, safer streets and more opportunities to walk and cycle. But we cannot solve congestion in our towns and communities while leaving the major bottlenecks that push traffic onto local roads unresolved. 

“There is strong cross-party support for both schemes, and businesses and communities across the region have made clear how important they are. 

“I understand the Government has difficult choices to make, and I am ready to work with ministers on timing, scope and alternative ways of funding these projects. But delaying infrastructure is very different from abandoning it. 

“The East Midlands has a strong case for investment, and it is only fair that we get the infrastructure we need to support the homes, jobs and growth Government is asking our region to deliver. 

“We need to protect the work already done and find a long-term way to deliver both schemes, because the East Midlands cannot afford to lose the homes, jobs and investment they can help unlock.” 

The Mayor is calling on Government to keep both schemes in its investment programme, protect existing development work, and work with EMCCA, National Highways and regional partners on phased construction, alternative funding and longer-term delivery options.