[J]ohn Stevenson MP met with Housing and Planning Minister Alok Sharma MP last week to lobby for his support in securing Government funding for the construction of a major bypass to the south of Carlisle.
John was urging Mr Sharma to back the application submitted recently by a broad coalition of local interests in Cumbria for £100 million to build the bypass. When John met with Mr Sharma, he was insistent on the importance of the development to future opportunities for growth in Carlisle.
John said: “There will be fierce competition for funding. The Government is committed to improving infrastructure across all the whole country. However, Carlisle can make a compelling case for being the recipient of funding for the southern bypass, and I made this case when I spoke to Mr Sharma.”
There are several reasons why a bypass to the south of the city would have a transformative effect on Carlisle. First and foremost, the bypass is necessary in order to fully develop St. Cuthbert’s Garden Village, an ambitious plan to build up to 10,000 homes on the southern outskirts of Carlisle. Secondly, the bypass would connect the city more efficiently to the west Cumbrian coast, which would provide a huge benefit to the many people living in Carlisle but working in the nuclear industry to the west of the county, as well as providing significant growth opportunities to the myriad businesses in Carlisle involved in providing Sellafield with technology and expertise.
John said: “Alok Sharma listened attentively to my argument for the benefits the southern bypass would bring to Carlisle. With the bypass, Carlisle could quickly become a much more prosperous and vibrant city. Mr Sharma understands the importance of this project to Carlisle, and as such I believe the city is in its best possible position to benefit from Government investment to make this exciting infrastructure plan a reality.”
