The partial dualling of York’s Outer Ring Road is facing potentially months of further delay.

When plans for the £65M scheme were submitted last September, City of York Council had set a target date for a decision of February 2023.

However, council chiefs do not expect a decision now until sometime in the autumn.

This is because a government agency has ‘concerns’ over some of the smaller details, which the council is addressing.

News of the delay follows a motion on transport policy which was submitted to a recent meeting of the full council by opposition Conservative councillors.

York Press:

Their motion on ‘getting York moving fairly’ opposed congestion charging, opposed the Blue Badge Ban, sought to end the ‘war on the motorist,’ sought better bus and cycle facilities and to address the ‘stalling’ of work on the dualling of the A1237 Outer Ring Road.

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It was not debated but it was backed with amendments from the ruling Labour Group on the city council. The opposition Liberal Democrats abstained.

Whilst it was ‘frustrating’ there had been no debate on the issue, Conservative Group Deputy leader Cllr Martin Rowley after the meeting welcomed the support from Labour.

Cllr Rowley said the council had secured funding four years ago for the project, when the Conservatives were running it in coalition with the Liberal Democrats, who he was now blaming, with its more recent coalition partner, the Greens, for the delay.

York Press: Council deputy leader Labour's Pete Kilbane says a decision is due in the autumn

However, Cllr Stephen Fenton, shadow member for economy and transport, said the dualling of the Outer Ring Road, from the A19 Shipton Road to the A1036 Little Hopgrove, is still going through the planning process.

Cllr Fenton told the Press: “The initial planning application attracted many comments.”

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This week, the City of York Council website listed more than 430 ‘documents’ associated with the planning application, including hundreds of objections and comments from consultees, the wider public and others.

This led to tweaks and design changes that are now going through the planning process, said the Liberal Democrat councillor.

“It’s important to do it properly,” he added.

“From my understanding, it’s not stalled. The Tories are a lot more impatient than me.”

“That (gaining planning approval) is the last hurdle to overcome and then we can crack on.”

City of York Council deputy leader and executive member for economy and transport, Cllr Pete Kilbane, says the planning application for the dualling work will come before a planning committee in the autumn, but he could not say which month.

York Press: Cllr Martin Rowley

Cllr Kilbane explained: “Active England had raised concerns about active travel infrastructure. They are very technical concerns that we are working with.”

These concerned underpasses and segregated cycle lanes.

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Then, as soon a the planning committee approves the scheme, work can begin "as soon as" afterwards.

The Labour Councillor also told the Press: “As far as I know, the money is still there.”

The scheme is funded by £38 million from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, £25 million from the Department of Transport and extra contributions of £8.6 million (including £3.6 million from the city council).

York Outer MP Julian Sturdy told the Press: “Funding to dual the ring road was secured four years ago yet the work has still not begun. While there is a short delay now due to concerns from Active Travel England, this does not excuse the last few years where over £20million of Government funding was put in jeopardy by inaction by the last council administration.”