Carlisle link road scheme secures £80m in extra funding

A long-awaited new road near Carlisle is to receive almost £80m of extra funding from the government.

The southern link road project, which was first commissioned in 2015, will connect the M6 with the A595 at Newby West.

The project will help deliver 10,000 new homes and create jobs, Cumbria County Council said.

Rising material costs had hindered plans but further government backing now takes the cost to more than £200m.

The local authority said the project, which was approved in 2020, was "vital for the economic growth of Carlisle".

The new road is a key part of the St Cuthbert's Garden Village development, which is expected to bring 10,000 new homes to the south of Carlisle.

The county council had previously secured £134m and with the extra funding will receive £212m from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, subject to finalising the legal agreements.

Cumbria County Council said it, along with Carlisle City Council, had also invested £13.8m, which would be sourced from developer contributions as homes were built.

Construction work is due to begin in June and is expected to take at least two years, with the road set to open in the summer of 2025.

Conservative MP for Carlisle John Stevenson said he was "delighted" by the new funding.

"This is a significant project, vital to the growth of Carlisle, with extensive support from local people and business. It will benefit not only Carlisle but the west of the county too.

"It will open up the St Cuthbert's Garden Village with the provision of 10,000 new homes, employment opportunities, community facilities and critical improvements to infrastructure.

"I am delighted that the government has listened and approved the additional funding, demonstrating a strong commitment to levelling up in the North and to the Carlisle constituency".

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].