Transport Secretary John Spellar has agreed to meet A590 High and Low Newton bypass campaigners ahead of his visit to inspect the road in July.

The meeting in Mr Spellar's London office on Wednesday, May 14, at 5.15pm, has been organised by Barrow and Furness MP John Hutton.

Members of South Lakeland District Council, Barrow Borough Council, Cumbria County Council, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Collins and chief executive of Furness Enterprise Harry Knowles will be attending the meeting.

Mr Knowles said he would be telling Mr Spellar every "hurdle" the Government had put up had been overcome by campaigners and that it was now "time to deliver."

"I don't expect to come back with the bulldozers up my back because I have been to meetings with ministers before, but I will be reinforcing the need for the bypass. The Government has written in black in white that sections of the road are substandard so why should we have to put up with it? It is time something was done and we are not going to give up until it is," he said.

Last month Mr Spellar agreed to inspect the road on July 7 after the £11 million scheme received the backing of the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott by being included in the North West Planning Guidance, which foresees the road being built by 2007.

The High and Low Newton bypass also heavily featured at a meeting of the Cumbria Strategic Partnership about transport issues in the county on Friday.

Chief executive of the North West Development Agency Mike Shields said the fact that the bypass had still not been addressed was a "disgrace."

Mr Knowles said: "If we are not going to get the bypass can someone please be honest and then we will stop wasting our time. If the Government is going to take action then when is it going to happen?"

Tim Hill, of the North West Regional Authority, said he "understood" campaigners' "frustrations" but advised them to "just keep pushing."

Another section of the A590 is also going to be closely examined following an intensive campaign by Cumbria county councillor for the Cartmel division Ron Mein.

Since the fatal accident on the A590 between Bouth Road end and Greenodd on March 16 when Gareth Lewis and Victoria Clarke, both of Grange-over-Sands, and Anthony Ramsden, of Ulverston, were killed, Coun Mein has been calling for additional signs asking drivers to slow down and warning them of the dangerous bend known as the "ski jump."

The death of the three young people has not been connected to reports of dangerous driving but an inquest is still due to be held.

In a letter to Coun Mein, the Highways Agency said it would be carrying out an accident investigation and prevention study on the stretch of road in the near future.

Coun Mein said getting the Highways Agency to install warning signs was one thing but getting people to take notice of them was another. "During the morning and evening rush hours some reckless drivers behave like kamikaze pilots risking their lives and the lives of others to gain one car length. Drivers should adopt the slogan Better late than dead on time."

May 1, 2003 15:00