Castle Street revamp could be shelved

Fears are growing that long-awaited plans to upgrade Hull's busiest road could be shelved.

City leaders have been lobbying for the proposed £188m scheme by the Highways Agency for Castle Street to be given funding by the Government.

But there are increasing concerns that it could fall victim to future public spending cuts.

Local authorities are being told to expect cuts of up to 40 per cent in spending on major capital highways projects by the Department for Transport over the next five years.

Despite repeatedly being identified as a regional priority, the Castle Street scheme is now being re-assessed along with two other projects.

They include a rival road scheme on the South Bank and a tramways project in Leeds.

Mike Ibbotson, the city council's transport manager, said the competing proposals were now effectively part of a regional "beauty contest".

He also admitted council officials had recently started looking at alternative options should funding for Castle Street fail to materialise.

He said: "The long-term scheme for Castle Street is now in a beauty contest with other schemes in the region before being taken to the next stage by the Government.

"We need to be thinking what happens if Castle Street is delayed again and what happens in the nightmare scenario of it not going forward at all.

"Any plan B will be a compromise, but even a cheap and cheerful stop-gap will prove difficult to deliver."

Speaking at a city council environment and transport scrutiny commission, Mr Ibbotson said it was now unlikely that any announcement on funding support would be made before the General Election.

"We have got firm ideas for options that are available but we are reluctant about going public at the moment because we want Castle Street to happen.

"If we did go public with a plan B, it would be the kiss of death of Castle Street."

Councillor John Fareham said: "I do not think Castle Street is going to happen."