£380 million ‘Fantasy’ transport fund revealed

York Lib Dem councillors are asking for clarity from York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith over the status of £380 million in funding that was promised to the region for transport projects following the cancellation of HS2.

This comes after a question from North Yorkshire Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, Tom Gordon MP.

In Parliament, Tom asked the Government when the North could expect to see the HS2 cash.

In response to Tom’s question, Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, suggested that the money would not be coming. She described the proposed investment in northern transport, first announced in February 2024, as “fantasy money”.

Transport in Yorkshire and the Humber has long been underfunded by the Government - in the previous decade London received seven times the amount of transport infrastructure per person than our area.

York Liberal Democrat councillors are now calling on Mayor David Skaith to clarify if York and North Yorkshire residents can expect to see any of the £380 million promised. 

Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson, Cllr Stephen Fenton, said:

“We need urgent clarity from Mayor Skaith on the fate of the £380 million that York and North Yorkshire has been promised over the next seven years for our transport priorities.

“Under Labour, York has received a raw deal transport-wise. Haxby Station looks set to be cancelled, it seems likely that the first phase of York Outer Ring Road dualling will not happen and the council has a list of active travel improvements it would like to make with no certainty as to how they will now be funded. And our roads, footpaths and cycle paths continue to deteriorate.

“Losing HS2 connection was a body blow to the North only slightly softened by the news the money would instead be given directly to us. This former HS2 money was a game changer, ensuring that these and other essential schemes could progress in full and on time. It would be devastating for transport and economic growth in York if the Labour Government pulls the plug on this promised investment. Time and again the North and York in particular gets a poor deal from the Government. It seems this has got worse not better now Labour control all the levers of power.”