Cunninghame North MSP Kenneth Gibson has criticised the UK Labour Government after it refused to provide assurances about funding for upgrading the B714 from Dalry to Saltcoats.

In 2021, North Ayrshire Council was awarded £23.7 million from the first round of the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund to upgrade the B714 after strong backing from Mr Gibson and former MP Patricia Gibson and the unanimous backing of North Ayrshire Council.

The B714 links the trunk road network from the A78 Sharphill Roundabout to the A737 south of Dalry and is considered a strategic necessity by NAC for the successful economic development of the Three Towns and Hunterston.

This funding equated to approximately 90 per cent of the projected costs at the time of submission, with funding from the council’s Investment Fund providing the remainder.

Mr Gibson wrote to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP last month seeking assurances that the Labour Government would honour the original award and agree to an uplift to recognise inflation in the construction sector.

He has now received a response from Lilian Greenwood MP, Minister for the Future of Roads, who said that the UK Government is “unable to provide assurances on any projects but will consider the B714 Upgrade project alongside other future roads projects.”

Mr Gibson said: “This feels like a major step backwards.

“In May, Patricia Gibson secured a meeting with Secretary of State of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove MP to press a matter the Tories had long dragged their feet on.

“The Departments of Transport and Levelling Up had both denied responsibility, referring the issue to each other.

"Mr Gove committed to speaking to then-Secretary for Transport Mark Harper to “sort it" but a UK General Election was called two days later.

“It is incredibly disheartening and disappointing to see a Labour Government now show less interest in this issue than its Tory predecessors.

“The decision to consider the B714 upgrade “alongside other future roads projects” ignores the fact this was a Levelling-Up project - awarded in recognition of its wider economic benefits.

“This is a particular hard pill to swallow, coming soon after the Labour Government approved £9billionto build a 14-mile road between Essex and Kent.

“The UK Government should honour the original funding commitment – 1/400th of the cost of another road in Southeast England - rather than putting the B714 upgrade on the chopping block.”

But the new Labour MP for North Ayrshire & Arran Irene Campbell said she supported the plan to upgrade the road and would be pushing for its approval.

She said: " I fully support the upgrade of the B714.

"Mr Gibson’s statement refers to the previous Tory government dragging its feet on this issue.

"The  Labour Government has been in power for less than seven weeks and has confirmed that the B714 upgrade will be considered alongside other projects.

"I do not think this can be construed as a major step backwards at this point as we do not know the outcome."