Annual transport plan leaves Cramlington councillor Mark Swinburn 'fed up with being fobbed off' by funding allocation

Cllr Mark Swinburn hit out at the council’s funding allocation in the annual Local Transport Plan (LTP) and called for changes in the future at a meeting of the Cramlington, Bedlington and Blyth Local Area Council.

The Conservative councillor and area council chairman, who represents the Cramlington Village ward, was speaking after local residents raised concerns about road safety in Bedlington and Hartford Bridge.

He said: “The LTP did not reflect what we had asked for and, in the end, did not reflect what we expected.

"It is simply not acceptable that the area with the highest amount of money had so much more than this area.

“I am getting fed up with being fobbed off. I am at the end of the road with this process. Something has to change.”

The LTP sets out the council’s plans for developing, maintaining and improving all aspects of the local transport system.

Parish and town councils are invited to submit proposals for the LTP each year, as are county councillors.

Those that are put forward are assessed against certain criteria and combined with road safety needs and accident data to decide which ones will be taken forward.

The draft 2023/2024 LTP for Northumberland was taken to each of the five local area councils in February, and is worth a total of £23.4 million.

Responding to Cllr Swinburn’s comments, a spokesperson for Northumberland County Council said: “The annual Local Transport Plan capital programme is developed following a comprehensive review of the needs for the maintenance of our highways, identified road safety issues, and potential improvement of our transport network.

“Priorities are requested from county councillors and town and parish councils, and assessed against criteria from the Local Transport Plan and Transport Asset Management Plan.

“The process is carried out fairly and objectively within the constraints of overall available funding.

"Councillors were given an opportunity to comment on the draft Local Transport Plan capital programme at the February local area council meetings before the programme for 2023/24 was finalised.”