Congestion plan for Coventry's Tollbar island

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The government is to fund major improvements to the Tollbar End roundabout in Coventry.



The announcement is part of multi-billion pound plans to invest in England's infrastructure.

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to confirm the announcement in his Autumn Statement on Tuesday.

The A45/46 Tollbar End scheme aims to ease congestion, and improve journey times and the capacity of both the island and the A45 Stonebridge Highway.

About 40 projects have been earmarked for help.

Other schemes include electrifying the north-Transpennine route between Manchester and Leeds, cutting journey times between Liverpool and Newcastle by 45 minutes and additional funding for the Kingskerswell bypass in Devon.

The government said its National Infrastructure Plan would see it and private investors support both social and economic schemes over the coming decade.

The Treasury hopes two-thirds of the £30bn earmarked for infrastructure schemes will come from the National Association of Pension Funds and the Pension Protection Fund.

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It's not exactly the 'government' funding this if they are raiding private pension funds to pay for it!

Also, as the Speaker of the House reminded Nick Clegg last week, such announcements are supposed to be made in Parliament and not to the media!

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Long-delayed improvements to Tollbar Island could start next year

LONG-DELAYED improvements to Tollbar Island could now start next year – raising hopes for 10,000 new jobs around Coventry Airport.

The Government has confirmed the upgrade of the A45/A46 “Kamikaze Island” is scheduled to start in 2013/4.

Decade-old plans to relieve congestion – which have included an underpass and two bridges – were resurrected in chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement in November.

Transport minister Mike Penning yesterday confirmed next year’s timescale, “subject to completion of statutory processes.”

It follows Coventry South Labour MP Jim Cunningham questioning ministers in the Commons about a start date – amid fears delays could scupper airport owner Sir Peter Rigby’s “Coventry Gateway” plans for a high-tech manufacturing park on land including greenbelt.

Sir Peter’s plans, which were turned down by the government for an Enterprise Zone, included building a relief road with private investment as an alternative to the Tollbar upgrade.

But hopes are now high that the new Tollbar Island timescale means the government and airport – backed by Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership – are now working together to give both schemes lift-off.

Mr Cunningham said: “It is good news that we have a start date, but there are a number of questions left unanswered.

“How will this fit in with the timings of the Gateway project? I will be writing to the minister and the LEP to make sure this schedule has been fully integrated, so that we do not lose out on any investment.”

Coventry City Council’s Labour leader John Mutton said: “It has been explained to the minister that if the Highways Agency did some of the site and the private sector in the Gateway project did another part of it with the access road, then the whole thing could be done in a way that secured the future of the Gateway project – while saving the government millions of pounds. The minister was very pleased.

“If the date is next year, hopefully it means it will be done in a way which would get the Gateway project up and running more quickly.”

Tory business minister Mark Prisk had agreed in December to look at a potential conflict between the Tollbar and Coventry Gateway schemes.

He had instructed officials at business secretary Vince Cable’s Business, Industry and Skills (BIS) department to hold talks with the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP – a government established partnership between councils and business leaders including Sir Peter.