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Selby and Ainsty MP Nigel Adams calls for help for commuters
MP Nigel Adams has called on extra funding for local transport investment across the district to help it continue to successfully weather the economic storm.
Mr Adams, the Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty, attended a far-ranging question and answer session with members of the Selby District Council scrutiny committee on Friday.
Ahead of the meeting, he said that the district was managing to shield itself from the worst of the economic crisis and along with York currently had one of the highest rates of start up businesses in the country.
But, despite praising its current transport infrastructure, Mr Adams says more investment is vital in cementing the district’s burgeoning reputation as a key commuter stronghold.
Among the schemes being mooted was a new rail link to the redundant Gascoigne Wood mine.
It is also hoped that the district will benefit from the proposed electrification of the Transpennine railway route and capitalise on funding initiatives announced in surrounding cities such as York and Leeds.
“It has been many years since we have had significant rail investment in this country,” Mr Adams said.
“Selby has a lot of residents that commute outside of the district and any investment that will help them and speed up journey times has to be welcomed.
“Selby has good infrastructure but of course we would like to see more services on routes connecting the local areas.”
Among the questions Mr Adams faced from councillors was over employment creation and investment and how the district can avoid being engulfed by wind farms in the coming years – a key battleground for many residents with a number of controversial major projects in the pipeline.
Mr Adams was also asked about the impact of the budget cuts on the district and in particular on its highways network with a number of long-awaited road repair schemes currently being put on hold.
Selby District Council is battling to cut around £3m during the next two years from its annual £11m revenue budget and is currently undergoing the biggest shake-up in the 36-year history of the local authority.
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Weather for Goole
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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Wind direction: East
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