The dualling of the A1 between Morpeth and Ellingham has taken a big step forwards with the planning application being lodged this week.  The news follows Prime Minister Boris Johnson's repeated pledge that he wants to see complete dualling of the route up to the Scottish border.

Due to the scale of the multimillion pound project, the planning application is to be determined by the National Infrastructure Planning Inspectorate who now have a number of months to grant permission. The project will then start construction in either late 2020 or early 2021.

Speaking about the news Councillor Richard Wearmouth, who is cabinet member for the economy in Northumberland County Council (NCC) said, “For many years the local Conservative Party, and in particular Berwick MP Anne Marie Trevelyan has campaigned for this dualling work.  

“The boost to the economy both in terms of the construction jobs and the improved infrastructure once works are complete will be very significant. It is also fantastic that the Prime Minister is backing Northumberland and pledging full dualling all the way to the Scottish Border.  My team at NCC will be in contact with Highways England to discuss full dualling in the coming weeks.

He added, “This is of course not the only work being done to boost our road network.  The government has recently started major improvements for the A1 western bypass at a cost of £183m which will lead to significant benefits for Northumberland commuters into Newcastle and beyond. Proof it is needed that our Conservative government is determined to invest in the North East as part of the levelling up agenda.”