Andrew Stephenson – 2022 Statement on the A1: Morpeth to Ellingham

The statement made by Andrew Stephenson, the Minister of State at the Department for Transport, in the House of Commons on 6 June 2022.

I have been asked by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State (Grant Shapps) to make this written ministerial statement. This statement confirms that it has been necessary to extend the deadline for a decision for the A1 in Northumberland – Morpeth to Ellingham Development Consent Order under the Planning Act 2008. The extension is in light of the written statement made by the Secretary of State on 26 May 2022 regarding the Union Connectivity Review, [HCWS62].

The proposed development comprises the widening of approximately 12.8 miles stretch of the A1 between Morpeth to Ellingham with approximately nine miles online widening and approximately 3.8 miles of new offline highway. The Secretary of State received the examining authority’s report on 5 October 2021 and the original deadline for a decision was extended from 5 January 2022 to 5 June 2022 following a written ministerial statement laid on 15 December 2021 to allow for further consideration of environmental matters.

The deadline for a new decision is 5 December 2022.

The decision to set a new deadline is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant development consent for the above application.