As we move into August, last week it was great to welcome Roads Minister Richard Holden to Mid-Cornwall to update him in some of the excellent work being done to improve our transport infrastructure and improve our connectivity.
First up the Minister went from Cornwall Airport Newquay to Newquay
Bus Station, along with local councillors and Connor Donnithorne, the lead
councillor at Cornwall Council responsible for Transport. This journey was
carried out on the Atlantic Coaster, an open top double decker that travels
between Newquay and Padstow. which was always an optimistic plan given the
changeable weather we have been having so far this summer! Apart from being
able to see some of our lovely Cornish sights and scenery, the purpose of this
part of the Minister’s visit was to highlight the continued success we are
having in Cornwall with the bus fare cap, as well as to get an update on some
of the other amazing initiatives going on in Cornwall, such as the successful
partnership with Operators and the Council to provide free bus passes for Care
Leavers.
In June, the Government announced a further extension to the
national bus fare cap of £2 for a single fare bus journey until the end of
October 2023, and then £2.50 until November 2024.
The extension of this national initiative complements the
bus fares pilot scheme already in place here in Cornwall since April 2022, with
bus passengers already saving hundreds of thousands of pounds. Between April
and December 2022 over two million discounted tickets were sold through the bus
fares pilot.
It was good to highlight to the Minister this success as
well as the need to ensure as many people as possible know about the fare caps
and are able to access the buses.
The Minister also had the chance to have a look around
Newquay Bus Station and see how, under the Transport for Cornwall brand, bus
users can have access to integrated information such as timetables, roadside
information, networks guides and maps.
Finally, he also saw how Cornwall invests in active travel
initiatives like Cornwall’s e-bike share scheme, Beryl bikes which are
available at locations, including in the towns of St Austell and Newquay, all
across Cornwall. The bay at Newquay Railway Station ranks in Beryl’s top ten
most popular.
Following the visit to Newquay Bus Station, the Minister
visited the construction site of the St Austell - A30 link road at Roche.
The new link road is receiving £78.5million of Government
funding– the biggest single investment by any government in mid-Cornwall.
The 3.9 mile route will link the A391 at Carluddon with
Victoria and provide an alternative route for traffic that currently goes
through the villages of Bugle and Roche.
The scheme will generate almost £112million in wider
economic benefits, reduce journey times and include a new shared pedestrian and
cycle facility running alongside the whole length of the new road.
Local businesses and residents have wished for a better
connection to the A30 for many years. Previous schemes had been cancelled and
there had been little prospect of this road ever being built. When I began my
first election campaign in 2014 I pledged to make delivering this road my top
priority.
It has been great to see the work on this vital road take
place over the past year. This scheme will not only benefit St Austell and the
surrounding area, relieving pressure on Roche, Bugle and Stenalees, but also
provide huge economic benefits and a more direct route to the A30 and Cornwall
Airport Newquay.
It is only under this Conservative Government, with me as
your MP, that it has been delivered. It was great to update the Minister on the
work done and I will continue to work with colleagues in Cornwall and in
Westminster to ensure this important part of our infrastructure for Mid-Cornwall
is completed as soon as possible.
If I can be of assistance or help on any matter, please get
in touch with my office on 01726 829379 or email office@stevedouble.org.uk
