A plan to scrap one of Nottinghamshire’s largest infrastructure projects has become yet another betrayal for the East Midlands region, local politicians say.
Improvements to Newark’s heavily congested A46 bypass have been in the running for years, but, in a matter of days, the entire project now looks unlikely.
In 2022, National Highways announced it had selected Swedish construction and development company Skanska to design and build the new bypass.
By October 2025, the Government had approved the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the scheme, meaning planning permission had been secured for the contractor to move forward with the construction works.
Then, at the end of April, officials said they had hoped work on the long-awaited improvements to the regularly congested A46 bypass in Newark could begin within the next five years, with completion by 2031 at the latest.
However, over a period of just two days, National Highways cancelled its £297 million contract with Skanska, and the reason, while not immediately obvious, has now been made clear.
On Tuesday (30 June), outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a £15 billion boost to defence spending amid continued conflicts spanning the globe, but he said this would come at the expense of some infrastructure projects deemed “not immediately vital”.
The Newark bypass scheme, in the East Midlands, is one of them.
“I think it’s a betrayal to the residents we all represent, especially here in Nottinghamshire,” said Cllr Mick Barton, Reform leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, which is in charge of highways.
“We needed this investment and regeneration in the highways in these areas.
“It’s shocking just to cancel them.
“Starmer has resigned, and he’s trying to make an impression on something before he goes. Very disappointing and poor decision-making.
“The defence spending announcements he has made today are a total panic. It is still nowhere near enough for the defence spending that is required.
“That’s something he should have done when he got elected, and he should have kept his promises and manifesto pledges.
“He turned his back on our defence, and today’s announcement is a panic policy to try to rectify his mistakes. It’s too late.
“To cancel these projects in our county just shows what a mess the Labour Government are in. If he thinks this will cut it with the public, he’s wrong.
“Now it looks like [Andy] Burnham is taking over. Just because Labour has changed the driver on the bus, it doesn’t mean he knows what he’s doing or where he is going.
“Burnham has made three speeches, and they all mention Manchester. He should be talking about what’s best for the country. Mind-boggling.
“It’s time for a change and a general election before it’s too late and Reform do not have a country to run.”
East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward (Lab) says she was informed the Government’s proposals included removing investment from the Newark bypass scheme.
She has called the decision “completely unacceptable” and said she was asking the Government to pull investment from elsewhere.
The Government will be considering scrapping the scheme, but there will be a consultation before any final decision is made.
The scheme is one of nine nationally significant infrastructure projects in the county, and its proposed cancellation comes just years after the former Conservative Government axed High Speed 2 (HS2) in the region.
The high-speed rail connection had been planned for Toton before Boris Johnson scaled it back in favour of trains running on existing lines to a new hub at East Midlands Parkway.
Then, in 2023, under Rishi Sunak, the entire leg was scrapped, prompting critics to say it left the East Midlands “bottom of the pile” for transport infrastructure.
The East Midlands had already been ranked bottom of all regions for transport investment at the time.
Conservative county councillor for Newark East, Sam Smith, said it was yet another betrayal and branded the decision “outrageous and unfair”.
He said businesses in the area have been unable to expand and invest due to limits on the local road network, which is a notorious bottleneck.
“Hopefully Burnham U-turns and commits to funding outside London,” he added.
“Cutting infrastructure spending cuts job opportunities, cuts growth, cuts investment into communities and increases congestion. It is bonkers to scrap spending on infrastructure.
“They should be reducing the welfare budget instead.”
Cllr Jack Kellas, leader of the Conservative opposition on Newark and Sherwood District Council, added: “Our town and our region are being shafted once again, and this will have an obvious long-term impact on our economy and employment for local people.
“Defence is a priority for the people of Newark, but infrastructure to future-proof our region should not be the cost. This is an ill-thought-through political choice by this Labour Government.”
National Highways, with Skanska, was proposing to improve congestion by widening 6.5 km of what is currently a single carriageway.
It carries an average of 15,000 vehicles every day.
Under the plans, it would have become a dual carriageway, providing two lanes in each direction between the Farndon and Winthorpe roundabouts near Newark-on-Trent.
A new flyover would have been built at the Cattle Market roundabout for the A46 to pass over the junction, with a new bridge constructed over the A1.
By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter