Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of funding the construction of a Northern Bypass around Ipswich.

The Ipswich Northern Bypass was a scheme developed by Suffolk County Council, who are the Local Transport Authority for this region. A decision was taken locally by Suffolk County Council to withdraw the scheme back in 2020.

Suffolk County Council did not engage with the Department on the scheme and did not submit a Strategic Outline Business Case before withdrawing it. As a result, the Department has never been in a position to assess the proposal.

The department would go through the relevant assessment process if this or other schemes were put forward and if funding became available in the future.