George Freeman, Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk. Photo: Bill Smith
Minister: A47 upgrade crucial to economic growth
Joseph Watts, Political editor
Thursday, February 7, 2013
10:21 PM
A transport minister has emphasised the importance of improving the A47 as central to the future prosperity of Norfolk and Norwich.
Stephen Hammond made the comments in the House of Commons during a debate on how to upgrade the road which Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman had called for.
East Anglian political and business leaders recently launched the Gateway to Growth campaign to secure improvements to the A47 which could generate nearly 10,000 jobs, add £390m to the region’s economy and attract £800m of private investment.
Mr Hammond said: “I think that [Mr Freeman] knows that I take a great interest in this and I clearly appreciate how important it is for [the people of Norfolk] and for the economic growth of the whole region.”
Gateway to Growth demands action on 14 projects at pinch-points and problematic junctions, including the Acle Straight, creating a third river crossing at Great Yarmouth, and building an East Winch/Middleton bypass in west Norfolk.
Campaigners had been pushing the government to consider taking a funding decision on the upgrades this year – in which case money to pay for them could come through as early as 2015.
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5 comments
I couldnt agree more Mr police commissioner,forget the acle straight Gt Yarmouth is a dead town already.A17 thats the one to upgrade its nothing more then a farm track with tarmac. Then maybe Tescos lorries would do 50MPH instead of 40
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Fishmore
Saturday, February 9, 2013
It's such a bugbear for Freeman that he could hardly bring himself to move to his constituency. Really? He is perhaps best known for being descendant of William Gladstone, but also likes to portray himself as an "entrepreneur", which is an interesting way to describe a decade and a half spent in the murky world of venture capital. His specialism, the biotech sector, the in-thing in the early noughties which soon imploded like so many investment bubbles. Never mind, as one feeding off the investors' stupidity GF doubtless did jolly well out of it. Following that demise he remained involved in the sector through his own consultancy firm, before the Conservatives kindly rescued him from the doldrums.
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Mr Cameron Isaliar
Friday, February 8, 2013
Freeman's successor will be banging on about it in several decades time. There is no way that a relatively unimportant road will have anything major done to it. Apologies people of Yarmouth but this isnt the M1 is it?
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Electra
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Iam still adamant that the Acle straight will not be dualled in my lifetime.
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yarco
Thursday, February 7, 2013
10,000 jobs and all those millions, who makes up these numbers? Never mind, they sound great. Let's dual it all the way to Leicester, and the A17 too. What difference will it make otherwise if it remains such a nightmare to get here to start with.
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Police Commissioner ???
Thursday, February 7, 2013