Stone MP Sir Bill Cash has pledged to work closely with local companies and organisations to lobby Transport Secretary Mark Harper on a range of motoring and rail issues affecting Staffordshire.
Sir Bill made the commitment during an online Meet The MP questions and answers session organised by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce.
During the event – chaired by Stafford Chamber President Martin Lennon – a range of subjects were covered including transport, planning and the rural agenda.
On Transport, topics discussed included optimising traffic light priorities in Stafford for diverted traffic during M6 closures; and how best to improve connectivity and capacity for Staffordshire rail users in light of the announced delay to phase 2a of HS2.
The long-serving MP was also asked about Government plans to push back improvement work on the key A500/A50 corridor and how to ensure the Crewe-Stoke-Derby rail line is not forgotten and does not become “a backwater”.
Sir Bill suggested that a paper be put together by the Chamber of Commerce, in tandem with other key experts and organisations, which could then be presented to the Secretary of State for Transport and other ministers in the department.
These included Transport Minister Huw Merriman, who is due to visit the county in the next few weeks.
He said: “What is needed is an integrated and structural approach to this, which does not stop at constituency borders, but provides the over-arching picture of what is happening and how it is affecting local businesses and those who travel.
“But as well as saying what the problems are it needs to propose what can be done – what solutions can be put in place. That would have the maximum affect on the Department of Transport.
“So the Chamber of Commerce needs to pool thinking with experts in the area as well as local business people to put together a paper we can present to Mark Harper.”
He added: “The kind of integrated approach we want will require complicated discussions with a number of agencies including the DoT, the County Council and Network Rail, so it may be the next step would be to take a delegation down to London to talk to them about this.”
