EU funds could solve Hull congestion problems
Hull Euro MP, Richard Corbett, is calling on the City Council and the Highways Agency to seek European funding to solve the Castle Street bottleneck.
Richard raised the issue through a parliamentary question to the European Commission, and has been told European money might be available to the city.
Richard said: "Solving the problem of the A63 is crucial to Hull's future and a tunnel provides a viable solution. Because the A63 is a crucial part of the Limerick to St Petersburg Trans-European Network route, and carries much of northern England and Ireland's trade to the continent, European funding may well be available to the city but as yet there has been no application for help."
He added: "I really believe the city has a very good case. At the moment the congestion is not only hindering Europe-wide trade but also Hull's development because the A63 acts as a barrier between the waterfront and the rest of the city. Now it's up to the Council and Highways Agency to put in a strong application which does the city justice." //ENDS
- Richard Corbett is Deputy Leader of the Labour MEPs and represents Yorkshire and the Humber.
- Both Richard's parlimentary question and the Commission's answer are attached as Word documents.
- Richard asked: " Is the Commission aware of the importance of putting the E20 (A63) in a tunnel when it goes through Hull (Castle Street section), both to eliminate a bottleneck in this major Transnational European Network (TEN) route (which carries the bulk of Ireland's and northern England's trade with continental Europe) and to end the severance of the city centre and the waterfront caused by the road, which is a barrier to the harmonious development of the city?
Can the Commission indicate whether such a project could be supported from European funding, whether from TEN allocations, structural funding or any other source?"
- An abridged version of the Commission's answer is: The Commission is aware that a tunnel through Hull is considered as one of the options for reorganising traffic in the Castle Street section. However, it has never been officially approached by the British authorities regarding this project.
The Commission would need further information in order to be able to assess whether this project could be considered as of common interest, in the framework of Decision No 1692/96/EC *.
The Commission would remind the Honourable Member that the European Investment Bank could be approached with a view to granting a loan.
* Decision No 1692/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 1996 on Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, OJ L 228. 9.9.1996. Decision last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006/EC (OJ L 363, 20.12.2006).
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