Long-awaited Isham bypass to be funded with HS2 money

Isham is on a busy route between Wellingborough and Kettering

The government has announced that cash originally ringfenced for phase two of the HS2 project will pay for a long-awaited village bypass.

Campaigners have been calling for the road to be built around Isham, near Kettering in Northamptonshire, for decades.

The money would also be used to dual part of the A43 between Northampton and Kettering.

One campaigner told the BBC: "It's the best news we've had for some time"

Residents have been campaigning for a bypass for Isham for more than 30 years

At the moment, the busy A509 between Wellingborough and Kettering cuts through Isham, passing dozens of homes and the parish church.

The bypass has been on the cards since 2001, but disagreements about the route and problems with funding have delayed the project.

It featured on the list of road schemes which the government said on Wednesday would be "fully funded" with £250m originally earmarked for the cancelled Birmingham to Manchester leg of the HS2 rail project.

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Graham Rait, a villager who has been campaigning for the bypass, said: "It's been very much a rollercoaster ride, but this is probably the best news we've had for some time."

The plan to turn part of the A43 between Northampton and Kettering into a dual carriageway was also on the list of government-funded schemes.

Jason Smithers, the Conservative leader of North Northamptonshire Council, said: "The schemes are important to unlock future economic growth, improve journey times for commuters, and relieve congestion."

He added: "We wait to hear further details from government about how funding will be allocated and the timescales involved."