Members of the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee discussed the economic impacts of the North Hykeham Relief Road potentially not being built.
Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “Today’s meeting was eye-opening, giving councillors a stark look at the economic blow Lincolnshire would face if central government pulls back its £110 million earmarked for the North Hykeham Relief Road.
"Losing this funding would mean not being able to unlock land for 4,500 homes and 7 hectares of employment space, but also missing out on £350 million in economic benefits over the next sixty years. That's a massive blow to our county – and there’s absolutely no way the county council would be able to find £110 million to fill the gap.
"We’ve already poured £14 million into the project, secured planning permission, and are just over a year away from breaking ground. We’ve got support from Dr Caroline Johnson MP and have also reached out to Lincoln’s new MP and the transport secretary, urging them to safeguard this vital project.
"We’ve done all we can. Now, we wait – hoping for the right decision."
Dr Caroline Johnson, MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, said: “It has been one of my top priorities to secure the Government funding and commitment to build the North Hykeham Relief Road within my constituency. I was delighted when the previous Government committed £110 million in 2019 to build the dual carriageway to ease congestion, complete the ring road around Lincoln and drive economic growth.
“Lincolnshire County Council has also provided significant funding for this project and a serious amount of work has been undertaken by the council to complete the necessary consultation, planning, tendering and acquisition processes.
“Unfortunately, one of the first acts of this Government since the General Election has been to order a review of capital schemes. This means that the future of this road now hangs in the balance. I will continue to work with local leaders to urge the Government to provide assurance that the project can proceed to construction as soon as possible. This project has long been promised to the local community and the allocation has been committed to in the government accounts for some time.”
Cllr Ian Carrington, chairman of Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee, said: “We put this item on today’s agenda because we felt it was important both to acknowledge the serious concerns of the North Hykeham Relief Road not going ahead, but to also take note of the tremendous benefits it would bring if built.
“We fully acknowledge Government’s right to scrutinise its capital spending programme. However, objectively, this project ticks many boxes and represents an incredibly high rate of economic return – £2.31 in benefits back for every £1 spent. Aside from the economic benefits, it also offers social benefits such as removing the plague of unwelcome heavy vehicle traffic from many of our local villages and communities, meaning cleaner air for our residents.
“We want to work positively with both of our MPs and the DfT to achieve an outcome that will deliver all of these benefits that the people of Lincolnshire so richly deserve. We just hope that the powers that be in Parliament hear our plea.”
Below are some of the additional points raised during the meeting by officers and councillors:
- Newark Road would see a 10-20% reduction in traffic during the relief road’s opening year and Cross O’ Cliff Hill would see a 10-25% reduction
- If delayed, the project’s cost would increase due to inflation and rising construction costs over the coming years
- The current value for money estimates of £2.31 for every £1 spent would diminish if construction of the road doesn’t start in 2025, as planned
- It would be very difficult to reduce the amount of HGV traffic through local villages if the relief road is not built, as restricting HGV use of certain routes would overload other local roads that are not equipped to handle the traffic
- With some housing already progressing in the southeast quadrant, the lack of a North Hykeham Relief Road could lead to increased traffic and strain on infrastructure, creating a long-term problem
- Postponing construction of the relief road could undermine the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan to a degree which could encourage speculative ‘guerrilla’ planning applications, resulting in housing being built in unsuitable locations without the proper hard and soft infrastructure vital for successful communities
The North Hykeham Relief Road project would see a new dual carriageway built, linking the A46 Pennells Roundabout to the newly constructed Lincoln Eastern Bypass, creating a complete ring road around the city.
As part of the project, new roundabouts would be built at South Hykeham Road, Brant Road and Grantham Road. A number of bridges would also be constructed, including at Station Road and over the River Witham.
Construction of the new relief road is currently expected to start in late 2025 and to open by late 2028. The cost of the project is currently estimated to be between £180m and £208m.
For more information about this and other major highways projects, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/majorprojects.