Transport Infrastructure: Cramlington and Killingworth

11:00:00

I will call Emma Foody to move the motion and the Minister to respond. I remind other Members that they may make a speech only with prior permission from the Member in charge and the Minister. There will be no opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up, as is the convention for 30-minute debates.

I beg to move, That this House has considered transport infrastructure in Cramlington and Killingworth constituency. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I am pleased to debate this important issue and to see the Minister for future of roads. It will come as no surprise to her that I will take the opportunity to talk about the Moor Farm and Seaton Burn roundabouts in my constituency. We have become pen pals on this issue and I thank her for her responses and for meeting me about it. I start by warmly welcoming the Government’s recent announcements in the regional growth statement, with £1.8 billion secured for the north-east; the emphasis on delivering capital projects in the spending review; and most importantly, the announcement on the Green Book. That will support transport infrastructure investment in communities such as mine in Northumberland, North Tyneside and Newcastle. For too long under the Conservatives’ Green Book we were disadvantaged—missing out on the investment we deserve due to outdated formulas. Those recent announcements show a Government committed to long-term growth and investment. I want that to be used to unlock the enormous potential of my communities.

I commend the hon. Lady for bringing forward this debate. Before she was elected, she had a scheme that she wished to happen. Now, as an MP, she has the opportunity to push it forward, and she will hopefully get a response from a sympathetic Minister. Does she agree that if that infrastructure is not in place, it will hold back economic growth in her constituency? It is important to move that project forward, because with that every other project can move forward.

I absolutely agree with the hon. Member—it is as if he has seen the key points of my speech. This is a critical piece of infrastructure in my area for all the reasons he said and more. One such game-changing project for the north-east would be the upgrading of the Moor Farm and Seaton Burn roundabouts. Those who do not know about these roundabouts have never heard me speak in this place, because I talk about them a lot. Moor Farm is a major, strategic six-armed roundabout that links the A19, A1 and A189 and sits to the south of Northumberland, on the border with North Tyneside. This heavily congested and well used roundabout is a key gateway across south-east Northumberland to the Northumbria specialist emergency care hospital in Cramlington and to the new data centre in Cambois that the Government have been pivotal in supporting. Seaton Burn links Northumberland and North Tyneside to the A1 and on through to Newcastle, as well as providing links to south-west Cramlington, an area of significant housing development, and the villages to the north-west of North Tyneside. These critical pieces of infrastructure form part of the south-east Northumberland corridor, as well being a key link to Blyth, Killingworth in North Tyneside, and Newcastle. Both roundabouts sit on the A19, which is of strategic importance to the north-east more widely, linking to the Port of Tyne, South Tyneside and Sunderland, and to key employment sites such as Cobalt Park, Follingsby Park and the International Advanced Manufacturing Park. In earlier road investment strategies, Silverlink and Testo’s roundabouts, further south on the A19, have been upgraded. Those earlier works significantly improved traffic flows on the A19 through the north-east to south-east Northumberland. It is now possible to travel north on the A19 from Thirsk in North Yorkshire all the way to south-east Northumberland without hitting an at-grade junction—until Moor Farm roundabout. Surely, now is the time to finish the job and complete the junctions to the end of the A19 at Seaton Burn. My area has seen significant housing developments in recent years, including estates such as St Nicholas Manor, the Fairways and West Meadows in Cramlington, and Backworth Park in North Tyneside, with future sites including Killingworth Moor and Murton Gap—all of which add pressure to the roundabouts. In 2022, the section of the A19 east of the Seaton Burn junction had an annual average daily flow of 44,300 motor vehicles, while the section of the A19 east of Moor Farm had an annual average daily flow of 33,900. The result is that the roundabouts are past breaking point. Do not just take my word for it; the Department for Transport’s own statistics show that, between 2021 and 2024, there was an 87% increase in delays through the northbound A19 section of Moor Farm, and a 36% increase southwards. The A19 section of Seaton Burn saw a 31% increase during the same period, which has a knock-on impact on the A1, with an 18% increase in delays joining Seaton Burn on the A1 northbound.

My hon. Friend is making an important and powerful speech about the significance of local road infrastructure. She mentions the A1, which is in my constituency, and I know Moor Farm roundabout well. Does she agree that as the Government make a massive investment in local transport, we really have to think about investing in key junctions up and down the A19 and the A1 so that we can improve road safety and efficiency for everyone concerned?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the impact that such infrastructure has, not just on people in my constituency but on those across Northumberland and North Tyneside. His point about the A1 is well made, and I was about to move on to the fact that delays at the Seaton Burn and Moor Farm roundabouts have increased by 59% because of the traffic back-up on that section of the A1.

I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing the debate, which is particularly important for us in Northumberland—we quite often get left behind, don’t we? People are frightened to use the Moor Farm roundabout, and they will take different routes to avoid it. Does she agree that the issue will become even more critical once we get the £10 billion investment in the data centre in Cambois, which is in my constituency, as well as the investment in the Energy Central project in Blyth and Ashington, and in the Port of Blyth? We need investment in the Moor Farm roundabout for individuals, for residents, for businesses and for the future development of our wonderful area.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This investment is critical now, but if we want to see the growth that we need in business and in housing developments for our constituents in future, it is essential that we have these upgrades. National Highways has confirmed that Moor Farm has a volume over capacity of 104% at both the morning and afternoon peaks. The agency’s own classification is that Moor Farm is oversaturated, and the frequent accidents and breakdowns can lead to congestion for literally miles. Barely a week goes by without such incidents, and it is local people and businesses who pay the price. The Carabao cup-winning Newcastle United hero Dan Burn recently had to step in to help a stranded vehicle on Moor Farm roundabout. Although I have every confidence in Dan Burn on the pitch, he cannot be there every day to save the day on Moor Farm roundabout. In all seriousness, the current congestion causes misery for commuters and businesses, and without support and investment, the situation will only continue to get worse. It is for that reason that improvements have been drawn up, and Moor Farm and Seaton Burn roundabouts are being assessed as part of the next round of the road investment strategy. Their importance is also recognised by all local parties, including Northumberland county council, North Tyneside council, Newcastle city council and, indeed, the North East combined authority. The north-east devolution deal, signed in 2024, stated: “The government recognises the area’s priorities for improvements to the Strategic Road Network…such as the upgrading of A19 junctions North of Newcastle (Moor Farm…and…Seaton Burn).” The north-east growth plan further recognises that upgrades on the A19 at Moor Farm and Seaton Burn are an investment in infrastructure priorities. The Mayor of the North East, Kim McGuinness, has stated that the roundabouts sit on one of the region’s key transport corridors, and that it is “of strategic importance” to the north-east that they are upgraded. As Moor Farm and Seaton Burn sit on the strategic road network, however, the funding and responsibility sit with the Department for Transport and National Highways. Therefore, they cannot be upgraded through devolved funding to the North East combined authority. I have touched on the nightmare that the current roundabouts are causing for local people, but it is not only that; as has been mentioned, they are holding back businesses, growth and investment in my communities. That has a direct impact on my constituents’ quality of life, because it puts at risk our ability to support the Government in their missions to deliver on growth and housing. Northumberland county council has warned that improvements to the junctions are critical to future growth aspirations.

Let me take the debate from the north-east to the south-east and Kent. The story that the hon. Lady is telling is very similar to that of the A21 Kippings Cross junction in my constituency. Of course, we have the opposite problem: the houses have all gone in, but none of the infrastructure has been built. Now that the spending review is giving lots of money to northern constituencies—I do follow her argument that they have been under-invested in for some time—what is there for the south-east? Where does the balance lie in catching up on the infrastructure that has not been built in the south-east, while all the houses have been built?

I appreciate the hon. Gentleman’s advocacy for his communities. However, I am afraid that communities like mine have missed out year after year after year. No matter who the Prime Minister of the previous Conservative Government was, they never put the infrastructure or the investment that was required into the north-east; finally we have a Government who are prioritising that, and I am afraid I am never going to argue against it. Without the improvements to these roundabouts, Northumberland county council warns that they will remain a “significant constraint” on economic growth in south-east Northumberland, while North Tyneside council warns there is a “very real risk” that significant housing and economic growth, in line with national policy, cannot be delivered without investment into this critical highway infrastructure. There is also real risk that blocks placed by National Highways due to congestion affect the ability to produce a local plan and meet housing need across North Tyneside, with the Mayor of the North East adding: “The lack of capacity is now constraining much needed plans for housing and economic development”. South-east Northumberland is a key regional and national corridor for growth, including the Port of Blyth and Northumberland Energy Park, which will house the £10 billion data centre at Cambois. Businesses and local stakeholders have spoken to me ahead of the debate about their frustration and have provided real world examples. Miller UK, which is headquartered in Cramlington, manufactures and supplies excavator buckets and attachments across the UK and the world. It has a significant number of trucks delivered on a daily basis, and it set out that “Moor farm congestion impacts on delivery times and leads to increased running costs”. Fergusons Transport is a logistics firm based in Dudley in North Tyneside, and it similarly expressed frustration at the delays, capacity and increased emissions. It added: “This outdated infrastructure is holding our region back”. George Smith produces exceptional upholstered furniture from its Cramlington factory, which is sold across the world. It has lost staff due to the frustrations of a commute involving Moor Farm, and said: “A properly designed and delivered solution at Moor Farm would make a meaningful difference to our ability to attract and retain staff”. Similarly, RENOLIT is a global family-owned specialist in high-quality plastic films and polymer solutions that is based in Cramlington. It also stressed the importance of delivering upgrades. What is the cost of missed opportunities? There are the developments and investment that have not come forward, or are being held back, because of concerns that congestion at Moor Farm will lead to applications being blocked or that the mitigation costs are too high. Those missed opportunities are jobs and homes for local people that may be invested elsewhere, or indeed not at all. I have said before that Moor Farm and Seaton Burn are holding back growth, investment and opportunity, so how can the Government support my region and community in getting those long-overdue upgrades? The Department for Transport and National Highways assessed the business case for the roundabouts in the latest road investment strategy pipeline. Under the previous Conservative Government’s Green Book criteria, they were found to be low or poor value for money. However, this assessment has been challenged by local councils and the North East combined authority, which highlighted that the assessment used traffic data from 2019. As I said earlier, the Department for Transport’s own figures show that there have been significant increases in delays in recent years, yet that data was not used for the assessment, and the assessment also did not take into account all the housing developments in the pipeline. We are in a Catch-22 situation where only some future developments, whether employment or housing, are being assessed, yet there are business and development opportunities on key sites in Northumberland and North Tyneside that are not being brought forward due to the lack of certainty about whether they will be blocked or incur additional costs due to the roundabouts’ capacity constraints. We know that assessments of the outcomes of investments in the north-east have significantly undervalued the impact before. Take the recent reopening of the Northumberland line in December 2024. Initially, usage was expected to be 50,000 by Easter 2025, yet with only some of the stations open to date, including Seaton Delaval in my constituency, figures show that 250,000 journeys have been made—five times the expected number of passenger journeys. Investment in infrastructure delivers results, and I have no doubt that with Moor Farm and Seaton Burn we would, similarly, see substantially more benefits delivered than the assessment implies. That is precisely why the Government’s review and changes to the Green Book are so vital. A move to a place-based business case is absolutely correct, and for Moor Farm and Seaton Burn, it cannot come soon enough. From Conservative-led Northumberland to the Labour Mayor of North Tyneside, Karen Clark, and the North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, and local Labour MPs, we are universally agreed: to unlock growth, support business and finally end the misery for local residents in south-east Northumberland, north Tyneside and the wider north-east, these upgrades are essential. The Government are right to place these decisions in the hands of those who know our communities best, and what delivers for them. I have previously asked, as has the North East combined authority, for this scheme to be judged as a test case for a new methodology for the Green Book. With the changes to the Green Book and the welcome move to place-based business cases, could the A19 north of Newcastle scheme be the test case for new methodology? With the growth that would be unlocked by bringing the scheme forward, overlooked in the previous methodology, will the Department for Transport work with local stakeholders to test this? Our Government have rightly embraced devolution. Given the importance placed on these junctions to local stakeholders, and the fact that this was specifically referenced in both the deeper devolution deal and the north-east growth plan, what weight is placed on this in the road investment strategy assessment? What conversations have taken place between the Department for Transport and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, given that local plan and housing targets could be at risk if this barrier is not removed? Now that the spending review has been announced, what is the timeframe for a decision on the next round of road investment strategy and the projects identified to go forward? Finally, despite the misinformation put out by Conservative councillors in Northumberland, can the Minister confirm that, under the previous Government, no funding had been awarded for improvements at the roundabouts, and no money for this project has been withdrawn? The Government have ambitious missions to deliver growth and build the houses that our country needs. Cramlington and Killingworth, and the wider north-east, stand ready to support delivery, but right now the situation at Moor Farm and Seaton Burn acts as a blocker to growth, causing misery to residents and commuters and holding back investment. The voices of local people, business, councils and elected representatives is clear: we need these key junctions to be upgraded. They are holding back the enormous potential of the communities that I represent. Investing here and upgrading the roundabouts can help to deliver our missions, and I hope that this critical investment will be brought forward. I look forward to hearing from the Minister on how we can work together to achieve that.

11:18:00

It is always a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Stringer. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Cramlington and Killingworth (Emma Foody) on securing the debate. I know how committed she has been to raising the importance of transport infrastructure in her constituency, frankly at every opportunity. Today, she has set out very clearly the challenges for her constituents and the communities that she represents. I welcome the opportunity to speak about the Government’s ambitions. Reliable transport infrastructure is vital to everyone’s daily life, whether it is connecting communities, family and friends, providing access to jobs and training, or moving goods. It can boost productivity by helping firms to cluster and innovate, unlocking land for housing and development, and making places more attractive to live, work and invest in. The Government recognise the challenges facing communities such as Cramlington and Killingworth, and today I will outline what we are doing to maintain and renew our infrastructure, protect vital public transport services and invest in the long-term future of our transport system. We recognise the long-standing aspirations of local leaders, and by devolving power and decision making from Whitehall we are ensuring that local decisions are taken at the right level. I commend Mayor Kim McGuinness on her ambitions and vision for the north-east. The Government are backing those ambitions with real support, as my hon. Friend will be aware. At last week’s spending review, we outlined our commitment to the protection of vital public transport services and the maintenance of our road and rail networks. That reflects the Government’s recognition of the essential role that transport plays in driving economic growth, regional development and public service delivery. Through the transport for city region settlements, eligible mayoral combined authorities will receive dedicated funding to deliver key local projects. The North East combined authority, NECA, will receive £1.8 billion from the TCR settlement between 2027 and 2032. That builds on the £573 million already provided from the first round of city region sustainable transport settlements.

I enjoyed the company of my hon. Friend the Minister in Cowpen Road in Blyth not too many months ago. Does she share my frustration, amazement and disbelief in Northumberland county council for criticising this Government for investment in transport infrastructure, when the A1 dualling has been announced more times than I can remember, and the Blyth relief road is waiting for investment. The Conservatives did absolutely nothing in 14 years; after every spending review, they would announce that they would pay for this and that, but it never happened. Yet, after mere months, Northumberland county council are criticising every decision that this Government have made. This Government will make a real difference to the transport infrastructure in Northumberland.

As my hon. Friend says, the last Government were good at making announcements, and very poor at putting real money behind those announcements. We are determined to do something very different. This unprecedented long-term funding certainty will enable enhancements and renewal of local transport networks, based on local priorities, helping to drive growth and productivity, support the delivery of new homes and decarbonise local transport networks. I am aware of the specific concerns of my hon. Friend the Member for Cramlington and Killingworth about the road infrastructure in her constituency, particularly the Moor Farm and Seaton Burn roundabouts, as well as the challenges that need to be addressed around congestion and the delays impacting residents and businesses. As part of last week’s spending review, the Government announced £24 billion of capital funding between 2026 and 2030 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country. That funding will allow National Highways and local authorities to deliver faster, safer and more reliable journeys. Already this year, the north-east has been provided with an extra £22 million for local roads maintenance. The opportunities for new enhancements to the strategic road network will be considered in due course, as part of the future road investment strategy, which will start from 1 April next year. I am grateful to my hon. Friends the Members for North Northumberland (David Smith) and Blyth and Ashington (Ian Lavery) for highlighting the needs and challenges of their communities. Now that the spending review has been completed, we will take decisions on how best to spend that money on both strategic and local roads. My hon. Friend the Member for Cramlington and Killingworth asked some specific questions, which I will try to go through. As she rightly noted, on 11 June, alongside the spending review, the findings of the Green Book review were published. They sought to understand whether it is being used in a way that ensures a fair, objective and transparent appraisal of proposals across the country. As a Department, we will work with Treasury analysts to develop and embed any changes to the Green Book. A new place-based business case taskforce will be established to define objectives for a particular place and bring together the relevant interventions that are needed to achieve objectives across different policy areas. This is about making sure that places like the north-east get their fair share of transport investment. The taskforce will also feature participants from local and regional government, as well as other Government Departments, and will identify appropriate test cases for place-based business cases, and what that means for existing proposals in due course. I note that my hon. Friend got her bid in early. The deeper devolution deal and the north-east growth plan will allow the combined authority to enter into agreements with Government, other local authorities and National Highways to determine shared priorities for the strategic and key road networks. This closer working relationship, and strategies such as the north-east growth plan, will be an important consideration in the prioritisation of enhancements to the strategic road network in the north-east. On local plans and housing targets, our Department has a close working relationship with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on a range of transport matters to support our ambitious goals for housing. The successful implementation of local plans is a key part of ensuring development in the right places. Local authorities are encouraged to develop plans in sustainable locations that are not wholly reliant on significant investment in the strategic road network. I recognise that in some cases that is hard to avoid, and it is essential that issues such as constraints on growth form part of the assessment of individual schemes, as my hon. Friend said, and wider investment planning for the network. On the spending review, schemes that are in the RIS pipeline, such as the A19 north of Newcastle scheme, are being considered for possible delivery beyond 2030. The Department expects to reconfirm those schemes that remain in the pipeline, and they will continue to be developed during the next period, when RIS3 is published early next year. I heard the points that my hon. Friend made about how the pressures on the network may have changed in recent times. I will just touch on the point about local councillors. As with all schemes in the RIS pipeline, the proposals are funded for their development stages only, and there has been no commitment and no funding for their full delivery at any stage. To say otherwise is simply untrue. In addition to considerations on the strategic road network, it is vital that we improve public transport connectivity. We are driving forward wider regional transport reforms, including rail upgrades and the resources and powers to deliver better buses as we look to build a modern, integrated public transport system. My hon. Friend highlighted the difference that investment in local rail is already making in her region. This year, we are providing NECA with £24 million to support and improve bus services by putting power over local bus services back into the hands of local leaders. That will help to ensure we meet the needs of the communities that rely on them, while protecting socially and economically necessary services. I understand that Mayor McGuinness is exploring franchising options that, if taken forward, would ensure that local bus networks across the north-east can be designed to work better for the people who rely on those services. We have also just confirmed that from next year, we will be providing £900 million a year to maintain and improve bus services across the country, ensuring that they continue to be affordable and accessible to all. As part of the Government’s clean energy mission, we are also committed to decarbonising transport. The spending review confirmed £1.8 billion to support the uptake of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, including the provision of charging infrastructure along the strategic road network in England. Active travel also plays a crucial role in the mission, and last week we were pleased to announce a further £616 million nationally to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure, and the north-east is already benefiting from more than £7 million this year to support the development of active travel facilities. Our communities deserve transport infrastructure that supports growth, enhances mobility and ensures sustainability. The Government will shortly publish our 10-year infrastructure strategy, which will set out a long-term plan for how infrastructure projects are planned and delivered. Today’s contributions will help us as we make decisions in the weeks, months and years ahead. We remain dedicated to delivering improvements that will make a real difference to people’s lives, including in the constituencies of my hon. Friends in the north-east. Through investment, innovation and engagement with local leaders, we will continue to transform transport infrastructure for the better. I thank all my hon. Friends for the cases they have made, making sure that I understand the needs and challenges faced by communities in their area. I look forward to working with them as we go forward. Question put and agreed to.

11:29:00