A government minister visited Morecambe to announce that Lancashire has been given the biggest share of a pot of money to spend on improving road, rail and bus links.
Esther McVey was in town on Monday to launch the government's Local Transport Fund which has given nearly half a billion to Lancashire - the most received by any county.
The cash comes from reallocated funds following the cancellation of the planned HS2 high speed rail link in the North last year.
Ms McVey, who is also known for her work as a TV presenter and was appointed to Rishi Sunak's cabinet in November as a Minister without Portfolio, spoke to Beyond Radio during her visit.
LISTEN to our interview with Esther McVey
"The Prime Minister said when HS2 was cancelled last year that money will be spent locally on local projects'" she said.
When asked if the amount of money showed that the government recognised there are problems with transport links in Lancashire, she said:
"I guess it is saying that area needs it, will spend it well and we think it deserves that money."
Ms McVey said local leaders including MPs would have a say on how to spend the cash on "the most important projects".
Some of the biggest issues for North Lancashire include the state of roads and improving public transport links to the planned Eden Project Morecambe - including a campaign to electrify the Lancaster to Morecambe railway line.
Ms McVey, who visited the Eden site on the Promenade during her visit, said: "That has already been spoken about today, how can we get the best links to the Eden Project.
"But remember for road surfacing and potholes, money has already been given last year, more money will be coming this year, so I keep saying to council leaders what are they doing? They've got the money. Get filling in those potholes!"
On the Eden Project coming to Morecambe, she said: "I think it's visionary. You see what it's done in Cornwall. It's educational, it's environmental, it's cultural.
"(Look at) how much support it's going to give to businesses, how many people are going to get a job there, how many schools are going to have educational support there and how many apprenticeships. It will help transform the area, a very beautiful area and this will enhance it."
David Morris, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, said he would like to see the transport money spent on "the railways, with Eden coming".
LISTEN to David Morris speaking to Beyond Radio on Monday
Lancaster Civic Vision, a group championing the past and future of the area, has been campaigning for the Lancaster-Morecambe-Heysham railway line to be re electrified, ensuring quicker and more comfortable rail journeys for visitors to Eden.
"I want to see some new railway facilities coming here, a new railway station, something that's indicative of Morecambe moving forward and the Eden Project coming," said Mr Morris on Monday.
Ms McVey's visit began at the Platform where she had talks with members of the Eden Project team, project partners Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and Lancaster University, as well as local business and community leaders.
From 2025, the Local Transport Fund (LTF) will fund a wide range of projects to improve the local transport connections that people rely on every day, particularly across towns, villages, and rural areas.
Over the next seven years from April 2025, local transport authorities (LTAs) in the North will receive £2.5 billion. Lancashire will receive £494,400,000. This is on top of the £6,101,000 it already receives from the government for transport each year, which is again, the most of any local authority county.
A government spokesperson said “this will be money additional to the local transport, road and rail budgets allocated at the last Spending Review and additional to what those organisations were expecting for the next decade”.
The funding is additional to the previously announced highways maintenance funding and bus services improvement plans.
The government aims for the money to:
- drive better connectivity within towns, suburbs and cities
- drive better connectivity between towns and cities
- improve everyday local journeys for people
Earlier this year, Beyond Radio revealed the shocking state of pothole-ridden roads in Lancaster and Morecambe.
Margaret Pattison, a Labour councillor for Morecambe, slammed the Tory-led County Council for "ignoring" an independent report on the state of the country's roads.
The Conservative cabinet member for highways and transport, though, said millions of pounds more funding is being pumped into road repairs and Lancashire Highways teams had filled "more potholes than ever before".
The decision not to build HS2 past the Midlands was criticised by those who said it made a mockery of 'levelling-up' and 'Northern Powerhouse' pledges.
The high-speed track will now run between London and Birmingham, with the Manchester section abandoned after concerns about mounting costs.
Downing Street said Mr Sunak would tell the cabinet that MPs and ministers must "hold local authorities to account" over how the new money is spent.
But Labour called Monday's announcement "a back of a fag packet plan".
"The Tories have failed and local people are sick and tired of this government taking them for fools," said shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh.
"Only the Conservatives could have the brass neck to promise yet another 'transformation' of transport infrastructure in the Midlands and North after 14 years of countless broken promises to do just that."
Ms Haigh said Labour would give "every community the power to demand London-style services, by taking back control over buses and bring our railways back into public ownership as contracts expire".
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