After a busy
time in Parliament last week it was great on Thursday to go down to Penzance
and see the new intercity bullet train that Hitachi is testing for the Penzance
to Plymouth line ahead of the full rollout of the new rolling stock in 2018.
The new trains,
along with investment in the signalling system, will create more capacity on
the mainline to London as well as cutting about 15 minutes of the travel time
and providing much better onboard facilities.
This new
£400million investment is another example of the current record levels of
investment into Cornwall’s transport system.
On 14th
July we are also seeing the completion of the dualling of the A30 at Temple.
This has seen Highways England and the Department for Transport, along with
Cornwall Council, invest £59 million into improving this vital stretch of the
road.
In return it
will cut congestion for visitors and commuters using the A30 to get to
Mid-Cornwall. By reducing business costs and improving productivity (and
generating more employment as a result), the wider economic benefits of
dualling the road have been put at more than £134m to the Cornish economy.
With the
Temple Project completed I am continuing to work with all involved to bring
forward the plans for the crucial link road from the A30 to St Austell and the
surrounding area. These plans have been supported by the Government and will
provide a direct road from the A30 to the A391, bypassing currently congested
villages including Roche, Bugle and Stenalees as well as providing more
immediate access to St Austell from Cornwall Airport Newquay. We are in the
final stages of securing the funding for this project and good progress is
being made.
I have also
been making the case for funding for Phase 2 of the Newquay Strategic Route
that is essential in order to cope with the increase in housing being developed
in and around Newquay and will continue to work with Cornwall Council to ensure
this new road is built as soon as possible.
On the
subject of Cornwall Airport Newquay it was great to see the new Space
Industry Bill, announced as part of the Queen’s Speech last week. This will
introduce new powers to permit launches from British soil.
Since
becoming MP I have championed Cornwall Airport Newquay as the best location for
the first UK Spaceport. This is an amazing opportunity for the investment and
better paid jobs we need in mid-Cornwall. It is clear with our prime location,
Aerohub Enterprise Zone, proximity to Goonhilly Earth Station and existing
infrastructure that Newquay is the frontrunner. I will continue to do all I can
to work with the Government, LEP and space industry to bring the Spaceport to
Cornwall.
Of course,
these are just some of the ways in which the Government is investing into
Cornwall's infrastructure. There is a popular myth that is often stated that
central Government neglects Cornwall. The fact is that Cornwall is currently in
the midst of the biggest transport infrastructure investment ever – new roads,
new trains and improvements to the railways, new buses and support and
opportunities for our airport. There is still loads more to do but we are
making good progress. I will continue to champion these and other existing
projects, as well as working on your behalf to lobby for and attract more
funding and investment to make our constituency and Cornwall as a whole a
better place to live, work and grow up in.
As always, my
team and I are here to serve the whole constituency and work hard to make a
real difference to the lives of everyone needing support. If there is an issue
you would like my assistance on then please contact me on either 01726 829379
or office@stevedouble.org.uk.
Additionally, I hold regular, appointment only, advice surgeries across the
constituency. Dates of these can be found at: www.stevedouble.org.uk/events
