THE leader of a local authority responsible for a 5,709-mile road network has spoken of an ambition to improve transport infrastructure ahead of major developments being built.

North Yorkshire County Council leader Councillor Carl Les said the authority hoped to launch  numerous transformative road and rail schemes ahead of routes becoming overwhelmed with traffic.

He was speaking after the council’s executive approved funding arrangements for two schemes to improve road and rail capacity at the heart of the county using the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Fund.

More than £17m will be invested in schemes to improve the A1(M) junction with the A59 York to Harrogate road and doubling the number of trains that run between the city and North Yorkshire’s largest town.

Many councils, including North Yorkshire, are criticised for time lags between housing and industrial estates being completed and the necessary transport infrastructure being built as it becomes clear travel networks can no longer cope.

Local authorities often point towards being unable to get advanced funding from developers or government or sufficient funding for significant improvements due to piecemeal developments.

In North Yorkshire, planning for major transport improvements is further complicated by there being seven district and borough councils which have responsibility for deciding on housing developments.

It is understood that with a unitary system of government in the county it would be easier to coordinate housing, industrial and transport developments through integrated planning.

Cllr Les said the county had been able to plan ahead and attract funding for schemes on the A59 corridor as Harrogate Borough Council had outlined a blueprint for thousands of homes in the Local Plan it adopted last month.

He said: “We usually get criticised because housebuilding developments go up before infrastructure improvements. This is a way to get infrastructure in place, but sometimes it doesn’t work that way.

“We don’t always get the opportunity to consider an infrastructure scheme ahead of a large proposed development coming forward.

“In this case we were in the right place at the right time. It is helpful that’s part of the emerging Harrogate Borough Local Plan. We should always be working toward this aspiration.”

He said the county council would look to work with its district and borough counterparts as they updated and renewed their local plans.

Hambleton’s Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for examination on March 31, Craven’s Local Plan was adopted in November, while Richmondshire is reviewing its blueprint to include an area strategy for Catterick Garrison and site allocations for housing, economic development, retail and leisure, and community facilities.