Cumbria's highways chief has urged the Government to give the green light for a long-awaited bypass on the A595 at Grizebeck.

The project to improve the key road between linking south and West Cumbria and address a pinch point at Dove Ford Farm was backed by the then Transport Secretary Chris Grayling in 2018.

Cumbria County Council submitted a business case for the upgrade after consultation in April last year and identified £2.25million of local match funding through Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership using the Local Growth Fund on the basis it would be spent by March 2021.

But Keith Little, the council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, told a virtual cabinet meeting today that the Department for Transport had not yet reached a decision on the business case.

Coun Little now intends to rally local MPs to push for a swift decision to be made which would allow the council to progress with the plans.

He said: “Unfortunately, the DfT have not been able to reach a decision on our application in a timely manner, meaning we are now in a position whereby the full allocation can’t be spent by March 2021 and we have advised the LEP accordingly.

“There is no escaping that this is a setback and to help us find an alternative source of match funding it is now essential for the DfT to make a decision on our application promptly.

“I will be raising this matter with local MPs, whose support would be welcome on this important issue.”

The 2018 announcement that a project to improve the road could be forthcoming came following years of pressure from the council, Barrow Council, the A595 Action Group and MPs.