The Financial Times reports today that the Government is set to drop its proposal for tolling on the A14 after the proposed widening is put in place.  If so, that is truly excellent news, as it will give hauliers no incentive to avoid the A14 and thunder through villages such as Sutton and Haddenham.

However, it does make one wonder: if the Government is in a position to forgo the estimated £300 million in income from tolling, the £1 million East Cambridgeshire district council is giving the Government from our taxes towards the A14 project does rather pale into insignificance.  Even more so in view of the overall cost of the scheme, estimated at £1.5 billion.  But that £1 million, small change to a national government in a context like this, will make a huge dent in a small district council’s finances – something for which local council tax payers here in Sutton and across East Cambridgeshire will be paying for years to come.