Staffordshire County Council seeks £3m for route development

Staffordshire County Council and its partners are urging the government to invest £3m in a project aimed at generating skilled employment opportunities and improving transportation links along the A50/A500 route within the next three years.

The Fifty500 Midlands Growth Corridor includesl roadway spanning from Crewe to Nottingham along the A50 and A500.

If successful, the funding bid is anticipated to create 5,000 new jobs and contribute £100m in gross value added by 2030.

County council representatives, joined by Keele University, visited Downing Street on Tuesday, February 20th, to advocate for the allocation of £3m to the scheme in the 2024 Spring Budget.

They presented signatures from various councils, major corporations, and universities along the route.

The proposal was presented by Philip White, the county council’s deputy leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, alongside Ann Pittard, Keele University’s Director of Engagement & Partnerships.

The corridor has one million residents and supports half a million jobs, with manufacturing and distribution making up 41% of its economic activity.

Staffordshire County Council’s Deputy Leader, Philip White, said: “Our visit to Downing Street is a major milestone in our work to develop the Fifty500 Midlands Growth Corridor. If this bid is successful, together with our partners, we can continue our work to develop business cases around the corridor for new investments that will support our innovative and high-growth businesses to create thousands of skilled jobs and generate an additional £100 million for the local economy.    

 “This initiative has the potential to deliver on the Government’s aims of levelling up and decarbonising industry and transport whilst increasing productivity and employment in Staffordshire. With the support of major businesses, academic institutions and local authorities along this route, I firmly believe our proposal has every chance of success.”