North West Cambridgeshire MP reveals he is looking at new ways to revamp A47 near Peterborough.

But Sam Carling says any new venture to improve the road between Wansford and Sutton must be ‘shaped’ by local residents and be deliverable.

His comments come just two weeks after the Government announced it had axed the £100 million A47 upgrade, which had been seven years in the planning.

Mr Carling said: “We now need to move forward, not look back.

"This week, I’ve met with local residents and councillors to hear their views and discuss where we go from here.

"What I’ve heard reinforces my belief that people want investment in this stretch of the A47 - but investment that is properly thought through, deliverable, and shaped by local input.

"That’s what I’ll continue to push for.

He said: "Our area deserves better infrastructure, and I’m committed to securing improvements that are safe, effective, and meet the needs of our communities.”

Following the Government’s announcement that it was axing the scheme, which would have seen one and a half miles of road at the accident blackspot between Wansford and Sutton converted from single to a dual carriageway, Mr Carling had defended the move saying that the figures had ‘never really stacked up’.

It prompted claims from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Conservative Mayor Paul Bristow, in social media posts, that Mr Carling had ‘stopped the dualling’.

In an open letter to Mr Bristow, the North West Cambridgeshire MP states: “To be clear: I have never called for the scheme to be cancelled, nor have I lobbied for it to be dropped.

"Any suggestion to the contrary is inaccurate, and I’d ask you to correct the record by deleting the posts and apologising.

"My comments since the announcement have accepted that many residents will be disappointed, while also highlighting long-standing concerns raised locally - including by parish councils, councillors, and residents - about the scale, safety, cost, and design of the proposed route.

Mr Carling added: “We need to be honest about the context.

"This was a scheme that had been repeatedly delayed, with a cost that spiralled to around £100 million for just 1.6 miles of road, and ultimately did not command huge local support.

"In public consultation, just 36 out of 170 residents backed the route.

"Residents’ attempts to fix the project’s failings fell on deaf ears, including those of your (Mr Bristow’s) party’s government.”

Mr Bristow has been contacted for a response.