Partner Article

Government urged not to axe road projects

A BODY which represents engineers in the region has appealed to the Government to review its decision to axe several road projects across the region.

Civil Engineering Contractors Association (North East) have asked the government to reprieve at least a couple of the cancellations to benefit the economy and help take in some of the 75,000 apprenticeships the Government wants to see nationally.

Douglas Kell, director of the Civil Engineering Contractors said: “Contractors do not expect transport infrastructure to be exempt from the £81bn of cuts in public spending envisaged over four years.

“But strategic and local road projects have been hit so hard in the North East that local growth will be shackled beyond encouragement.

“While a value for money case is essential to road spending as to everything else, the Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has himself acknowledged that efficient and effective transport links give a £6 economic benefit for every £1 invested.”

Mr Kell suggested that many businesses find their costs rising through road deterioration and that transport links in the region must be effective if they expect businesses to grow over the next three years.

Furthermore, he has advised the regions civil engineers and construction firms to seek every alternative possible to avoid an increase in job losses.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .