Telford & Wrekin Council leader requests M6 Link meeting
Telford & Wrekin Council leader Kuldip Sahota has written to the Secretary of State for Transport to ask for am urgent meeting to improve the connection between the M54 and the M6 North and M6 Toll.
The move follows the launch of a campaign by Telford & Wrekin Council to persuade the government to progress the building of the new link to boost local businesses.
Councillor Sahota’s letter to Justine Greening MP asks for the Secretary of State’s support for the campaign.
“I have written to a number of local MPs, council leaders and business leaders in the local area and there is clear support for improving the connection between the M54 and M6 North and M6 Toll,” says the letter.
“I would now like to ask you to meet with a delegation of local leaders and business representatives to discuss the scheme and its importance to the local and regional economy.
“I hope you will appreciate the importance of this scheme to the local and regional economy and that you will agree to meet with a small delegation to discuss the project further.”
Councillor Sahota believes the lack of a suitable link to take traffic north is holding back economic development to provide jobs for a growing population in Telford and the wider region.
The project is currently one of four major road schemes that are being reviewed by the Department for Transport.
The link was originally proposed when the M6 Toll was built but has subsequently been delayed.
Richard Sheehan, chief executive of the Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The M54-M6 toll link is a vital part of the transport infrastructure needed to support economic wellbeing within the county.
“As we strive to attract new investment and resultant jobs to our area, we need to expand the competitive edge that our central location already provides and our road links play an enormous part in this.
“We must also be mindful that our existing business community needs every bit of support to ensure its prosperity and projects such as this can further support our growing sectors such as tourism and leisure.
“In this sector alone the IGMT and TIC are expecting to bring one million visitors into our county in 2012. We all have an obligation to support these fantastic economic drivers.”
