ABC Council to lobby DfI Minister for A1 upgrade funding

Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon Borough Council councillor Joy Ferguson has called on Minister for Infrastructure, John O’Dowd MLA, to allocate the necessary funding to prioritise upgrade plans for the A1 dual carriageway, with a view to making it safer.

The Phase 2 scheme aims to provide further safety improvements along the A1 between Hillsborough and Loughbrickland, including the provision of new grade-separated junctions, the closing up of all gaps in the central reservation and the provision of a continuous central reserve safety barrier along the whole route.

A notice of motion, tabled last September by the councillor, called on ABC to write to NI Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris MP, to urge him to make the upgrade scheme a top priority.

Replying to the council’s letter, Minister of State for Northern Ireland, Steve Baker MP stated: “Thank you for your letter dated 13 October to the Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, regarding the prioritisation of the A1 dual carriageway. The Secretary of State has asked me to reply on his behalf.

“The UK Government is pleased to see the return of an Executive. A devolved power-sharing government, in line with the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, is the best way to deliver good governance and prosperity in Northern Ireland.

“The Secretary of State and I have asked the Executive to develop a comprehensive Strategic Infrastructure Plan to ensure that Northern Ireland has the infrastructure it needs to deliver for its people and its economic potential.

“As the Secretary of State set out in his Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 27 April, the Northern Ireland Office worked intensively with the Northern Ireland departments to set a budget for Northern Ireland for the 2023-24 financial year.

“This year’s budget allocation from the UK Government gave the Northern Ireland Department of Infrastructure a total allocation of £523m, an increase of £2m above the 2022-23 budget.

“The upgrading and maintenance of road infrastructure is a devolved matter, and therefore any decision regarding the prioritisation of the A1 dual carriageway is the responsibility of the Department for Infrastructure.”

Speaking at last Monday’s full ABC council meeting (February 26), councillor Ferguson explained that road safety campaigner Monica Heaney, whose son Karl Karl tragically died in a fatal collision on a local stretch of the A1 in May 2018, was also a strong advocate for the potentially life-saving A1 upgrade.

The Banbridge representative also called on the new Minister for Infrastructure to allocate the necessary funding for the A1 Phase 2 upgrade: “I would like to just say briefly on the A1 correspondence that it’s good to see this back from the Secretary of State, based on our motion from September/October.

“We now know that the business case is progressing towards final sign-off for both options, one for the completed construction package in one go, and then smaller package schemes.

“But it’s the allocation of budget across these three years to complete Phase 2 which is outstanding.

“With the return of the Executive, we await the response from the Minister for Infrastructure to this chamber, and I would urge the minister to allocate budget and respect the needs and wishes of the public, and campaigners like Monica Heaney.”

Alderman Paul Greenfield was also of the view the upgrade scheme should be a top priority: “It’s no surprise the way the letter has been responded to, but could I ask that we write to the current minister to make sure this is a priority?

“Again, just on Friday night past, the road was closed again for another accident. It just highlights again the issue around this, sadly, you’re always getting reminders of the road having to be closed.”

The recommendation to lobby the Minister for Infrastructure was proposed by Alderman Greenfield, and seconded by Councillor Ferguson.