This past week in Parliament I was pleased to continue to
work on a number of issues important to our constituency. These included my
Questions to Ministers which secured continuing Government support for the
Newquay-London air route, regardless of which airline operates it. I also
called upon the Government to reclassify the launching of balloons as
littering, which it clearly is, in Questions to the Leader of the House of
Commons.
On Friday I was pleased to hear the announcement by
Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling MP that the Government is
releasing £80m funds to upgrade resilience of the Dawlish line.
This follows Network Rail submitting their plans for a new
sea wall at Dawlish earlier this month. These designs will prevent storm
conditions from damaging the railway at Dawlish in Devon. Owing to high waves
and strong winds, the tracks and station are regularly being damaged by
flooding, as seen in 2014 when the line washed away.
This announcement is part of the £2 billion Investing in
the South West, which also includes improvements to road, public transport and
cycle connectivity - all part of keeping Cornwall better connected to the rest
of the UK.
There is a myth peddled by some with political agendas that
this Government is ignoring Cornwall and the south west when it comes to
funding and investment. This could not be farther from the truth and in fact
this Government continues to deliver for Cornwall – particularly in the area of
transport infrastructure, something that we have missed out on under previous
governments.
In terms of roads, we have seen the plans continue for the
dedicated A30 link road to St Austell and the surrounding area, which Cornwall
Council voted to submit the final business case for last week. This involves a
£79m investment from the Government, and currently represents the largest ever
single piece of transport infrastructure funding in Cornwall. Cornwall-wide we
have also seen £76 million investment in dualling the A30 between Temple and
Higher Carblake which opened in July 2017 and a planned 8.7 mile dual
carriageway on the A30 between Chiverton and Carland Cross.
Regarding rail services, we have seen the new fleet of 29
Hitachi bullet-style trains being introduced to services between London and
Cornwall, an investment worth £361m. The Government has also contributed £9m to
a package to modernise the Cornish Sleeper trains and move maintenance of the
trains from London to a new facility at Penzance Long Rock Depot, creating new
local jobs.
Turning to air travel the Government has renewed the Public
Service Obligation to support the Newquay-London route, in partnership with
Cornwall Council. It has also supported a new direct air route between Newquay
and Heathrow Airport from April 2019 which will give passengers a choice of
more than 200 destinations across 85 countries, as well as supporting our local
economy from having Cornwall connected to this major international air hub.
There is always more to do, but we have much to celebrate
at this time as Cornwall in currently in the midst of probably the biggest ever
investment in our transport system. But I am also determined, along with my
Cornish MP colleagues, to continue to keep up this positive momentum and ensure
Cornwall’s transport connectivity continues to attract our fair share of
national funds now and in the future.
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.
The office is open to the public Monday – Friday 10.00am – 4.00pm (no
appointment necessary). If there is an issue you would like my assistance on
then please, either visit the office or 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
