With congestion levels on the A1237 York northern by pass gradually increasing, residents have called on the City of York to provide an update report on plans to dual the road.

Hopes that work on at least one junction would start in March have been dashed.

Progress had been promised by Conservative candidates in last years elections but funding – with possibly as much as £240 million needed – is apparently caught up in a wrangle about electing a new regional Mayor.

The government has said that devolution of resources is dependent on the boundaries for new Mayoral regions being agreed. West Yorkshire and North /East Yorkshire are at logger heads over the plan, with York caught in the middle. Meanwhile Sheffield is pressing ahead with its own plans to elect a South Yorkshire Mayor.

No reference was made to a northern Yorkshire devolution in the deals announced in the recent statement by the Chancellor.

The recently published forward programme of decisions likely to be made by the York Council over the next 4 months contains no reference to the dualling project.

Nor is there any provision in the Council 5 years capital programme which was agreed in February.