Fears have been voiced that an A14 toll could pose a serious threat to Britain’s biggest port – and councillors have pledged to fight the plan.
Senior Suffolk Coastal councillors have spoken out against the idea, which would see a toll of between £1 and £1.50 for cars and double that for lorries using a new stretch of the dual carriageway which would be built in Cambridgeshire.
Andy Smith, Suffolk Coastal’s cabinet member for planning, said: “What was worse, and not as we hoped, was the lack of provision of realistic alternative routes, and in fact the intentional proposed destruction of the existing A14 as such by the demolition of a bridge near Huntingdon.
“These proposals of course represent a serious threat to the viability of the Port of Felixstowe, as it would become the only major container port in the country to have its core primary road access for HGV traffic subject to tolling.
“This adds to its unique position as the only port required to contribute also to its rail freight access, in contrast to new work and/or subsidies provided to Thames Gateway, Southampton and Liverpool.
“We shall be responding energetically to this, both directly to the consultation process, but also via political routes to the best of our ability.”
Fellow cabinet member Geoff Holdcroft said: “The consensus view at both Suffolk Coastal and elsewhere is that whilst a new road is welcomed its tolling is unfair.”
He added: “Tolling disadvantages Suffolk businesses, especially those related to the Port of Felixstowe, has an adverse impact on local roads and will have a detrimental impact on national economy as East of England is a net provider.”
Richard Cornwell richard.cornwell@archant.co.uk
A14 Cambridgeshire toll sparks Labour opposition in Suffolk
Labour politicians are urging a council not to contribute to the new A14 project in Cambridgeshire if it is going to be a toll road.
Conservative-run Suffolk County Council has pledged £1m towards building the £1.5bn new road south of Huntingdon.
The council's Labour group said a toll would be bad for businesses in Suffolk.
The Conservatives said the financial support was "essential" but they would work with businesses to pressurise the government to drop the toll.
The government's proposal is to charge £1-£1.50 for cars and £2-£3 for lorries on the new stretch to help fund the new section connecting Cambridge to the A1.
'Tax on Suffolk'
The road runs from the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk to the M6 in Northamptonshire.
Councillor Sandra Gage, Labour's roads spokesperson, said: "As the only trunk road between Suffolk, Felixstowe port and the majority of the UK, the A14 is a vital link for the county's economy and population.
"We don't think Suffolk residents and businesses should be forced to fund the access to Suffolk through tolling, so we call on the [Conservative] administration to withdraw the offer of the £1m until this tax on Suffolk is stopped."
Conservative councillor Graham Newman, member for roads and transport, said the cabinet decision to contribute £1m was made "in the full knowledge that the government was proposing tolling the road as part of its overall funding plans".
Supporting the proposed upgrade financially was essential, he said, to ensure the plan would be delivered in the government's current spending round.
However, he added: "Businesses and councils alike are working with Suffolk's MPs to maintain pressure on the government to drop the tolling proposal, particularly for HGVs, so this county's port and logistics industries can compete on a level playing field with new entrants to this sector elsewhere in the UK."
The ruling Conservative group is due to consider the Labour motion at a full Suffolk County Council meeting on 24 October.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has agreed to meet a delegation from the “No Toll Tax on Suffolk” campaign to discuss concerns over the potential impact of A14 tolls on the county’s economy.
Suffolk Chamber chief executive John Dugmore by the A14.
Government plans for upgrading the heavily congested stetch of the A14 in Cambridgeshire include a new Huntingdon bypass which motorists would have to pay to use, with part of the existing route through the town being demolished.
With the Port of Felixstowe ranking as the UK’s biggest container port, many business organisations believe that forcing hauliers to pay the tolls − or face a lengthy, and costly, diversion − will have a disproportionate impact on Suffolk firms.
Suffolk Chamber of Commerce launched the “No Toll Tax on Suffolk” campaign two weeks ago, and other organisations including the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and local branches of the Federation of Small Businesses and the Institute of Directors have also indicated their concern over the toll proposal.
The campaign argues that, in the absence of any wider policy on road charging, the impact of A14 tolls on Suffolk will be uniquely severe as there are no other tolled trunk routes in Britain, apart from the M6 Toll which drivers can avoid by using the original non-toll route instead.
Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey, who has also signalled opposition to tolls, met with representatives from Mr McLoughlin’s office at the Department for Transport during last week’s Conservative party conference in Manchester.
And the outcome was an agreement to meet a delegation from the county to discuss the potential impact of A14 tolls on the economy of Suffolk.
“There is no doubt that tolling of the A14 will have a detrimental impact on business and the economy of Suffolk.” said John Dugmore, chief executive of Suffolk Chamber. “Tolls on the A14 would be discriminatory, adding costs to businesses in Suffolk that are not faced by businesses elsewhere.
“The ‘No Toll Tax on Suffolk’ campaign is being heard loud and clear and because of that we are encouraged that Patrick McLoughlin has agreed to meet with us to hear the real and deep concerns business has.”
Dr Coffey added: “I am pleased that the Secretary of State has agreed to meet a delegation from No Toll Tax on Suffolk.
“This means we can continue to press the case on the A14. This stretch of road should not be singled out as the only improvement scheme to be tolled and we will do all we can to try and persuade the Government to remove it.”
According to the Department for Transport’s consultation document on its plans for the A14, charges for the tolled section would probably be in the range of £1 to £1.50 for cars and £2 to £3 for lorries, with a toll-free period overnight, from 10pm to 6am.
However, it has given no guarantee over the level of charges when the new road eventually opens or for how many years the tolls would remain in place.
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