Busy roundabout holding back growth, MP says

Businesses have been negatively effected by traffic around the A19 roundabouts, according to a local MP

A congested roundabout is holding back growth in north-east England, an MP has said.

Moor Farm roundabout in Northumberland is a "blocker to growth and a blocker to opportunity", Labour's Cramlington and Killingworth MP Emma Foody said at a meeting in Westminster.

"It is preventing business expansion, causing investment to be delayed or withdrawn," she said.

Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook said the government was seeking "to drive improvements across the whole system".

Foody said problems with the roundabout went beyond the local area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"It affects the entire North East region," she said. "It is about housing, local plans and devolution."

She said: "There is significant congestion at Moor Farm roundabout, which causes misery to local residents. We frequently see substantial delays, especially as a result of accidents on or near it.

"In recent weeks, we have seen delays of hours due to incidents that are far too frequent."

She said National Highways had issued four "holding objections" for local housing and business schemes as a "direct result" of traffic on the roundabout.

Labour's Ashington and Blyth MP Ian Lavery said: "If we cannot resolve this problem at Moor Farm roundabout, areas such as mine in Blyth and Ashington are going to suffer greatly economically."

Pennycook said he understood that National Highways was considering proposals for the roundabout.

"It is not for me to comment in any way on those specific proposals," he said, adding that he would make Foody's points about the roundabout to National Highways.

"The government are seeking to drive improvements across the whole system to prevent similar issues in future and to unlock development," he said.