Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the road network between East Lancashire and Yorkshire, in particular of congestion at the Colne end of the M65; and what steps they are taking if any to improve road connections in East Lancashire and to reduce congestion at Colne.

In March 2017, Highways England published its South Pennines Route Strategy, which reviewed the effectiveness of the strategic road network between East Lancashire and Yorkshire. This covered Junctions 1 to 10 of the M65. Lancashire County Council is responsible for the section of the M65 from Junction 10 at Burnley through to its end in Colne.

Priorities for improvements to the local highway network in East Lancashire were set out in the East Lancashire Highways and Transport Masterplan, produced by Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council, as local transport authorities in 2014. Local Growth Fund support has been provided to a number of schemes in this Masterplan.

In March 2019, the Department announced that Highways England would work with Transport for the North on a study looking at options for improving road links between the M65 and north and west Yorkshire. The output of this study will inform consideration of the case for future investment.