York & N Yorkshire LEP Boasts about £12 Million Road Project in Northallerton

In an article on its website, York & N Yorkshire LEP (YNY LEP) boasts about the opening of North Northallerton Link Road on 16th December 2022. I believe it is North Moor Road, shown on the map above.

The road and bridge cost £12 million, £6 million of which was paid by developers Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon. The other £6 million came from a Local Growth fund grant via York & N Yorkshire LEP.

Congestion – Will Another Road Solve it?

The Link Road is related to a development of 900 houses to the north of Northallerton.

The road is billed as alleviating or solving congestion problems in Northallerton which partly stem from the Low Gates level crossing on A167 Darlington Road.

The Link road will make it easier for drivers from the new housing estate to go into the town centre by car on the A684 Stokesley Road instead. The centre of Northallerton is already a traffic-choked dystopia.

Planners and highways authorities have had the idea for decades that more road capacity will solve congestion problems. The solution always remains tantalisingly out of reach, as:

• extra road capacity induces more traffic
• the extra traffic creates congestion problems, and
• the planners and highways authorities continue to believe the solution is yet more road capacity

Thus traffic volumes keep increasing.

The Chasm Between Words and Deeds

YNY LEP is committed to its Routemap to Carbon Negative – in theory.

By 2030, the Routemap’s goal is to cut vehicle miles travelled by 48%. There’s to be a 900% increase in cycling and a 40% increase in walking.

With housing developments about a mile from Northallerton town centre, you’d think that YNY LEP and North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) – who co-own the Routemap – would bet the farm on active travel infrastructure.

Instead there is £12 million (TWELVE MILLION POUNDS) to encourage more driving. The article makes no mention of new walking or cycling routes. NYCC allocates £0 (ZERO POUNDS) of its transport budget to active travel.

Theory and Practice

In theory, according to the Routemap, YNY LEP wants a low carbon transport system that makes it easy for people to make green travel choices.

In practice, it is still splurging millions on new roads to encourage driving.

In theory, YNY LEP wants to expand active travel provision and plan 15-minute neighbourhoods.

In practice, it is spending money on new road capacity, and planning for people to make short trips to the town centre by car.

In theory, YNY LEP wants to prioritise transport funding that enables low carbon travel choices.

In practice, all the money goes on new roads.

In theory, YNY LEP recognises the risk that upgrading major roads will increase the use of private cars.

In practice, it is funding new roads anyway.