A campaign group has lodged a High Court legal challenge against government approval of National Highways' A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet scheme.

National Highways' scheme will see a new 10-mile dual carriageway built, linking the A1 Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire to the A428 Caxton Gibbet roundabout in Cambridgeshire.

The road sustainability group Transport Action Network(TAN) have challenged the scheme due to the impact it could have on climate change, damage to hedgerow biodiversity and whether the road is needed.

Chris Todd, director of transport for Action Network, said: “Building new roads is an inefficient way of growing the economy, while causing untold environmental damage.

“The A428 is one of the biggest climate-busting schemes in the Government's roads programme. Yet the impact on regional and local carbon targets has been completely ignored.

The £1 billion road could potentially tackle one of the region's most notorious congestion hotspots, and a new junction would be added at Cambridge Road, near St Neots.

District councillor for Priory Park and Little Paxton, Stephen Ferguson, supported the project back in 2021 when he was St Neots mayor, calling the road improvements "essential" to deal with the growing St Neots population.

However, Mr Todd said: “The scheme represents a trebling of road capacity for much of its length, an expansion that is totally unwarranted.

"It will increase traffic on the surrounding road network, undermining the economy while driving up emissions. Given that we need to ‘use our cars less’, it’s madness to be building new roads that increase traffic.”

Despite the legal challenge, National Highways say the timeframe for the project currently remains the same as before.

Lee Galloway, National Highways A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet Project Director, said: "We are working with the Department for Transport in responding to a claim for permission to seek a judicial review of the decision to grant a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements.

"The challenge is currently under consideration by the High Court, and we await the outcome. 

"We stand by our plans and remain committed to improving journeys for hundreds of thousands between Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge.

"Our proposals will improve safety, connect communities and deliver a huge economic boost to the region."

TAN will now await the decision of the High Court, which, if successful, would mean the scheme will go to judicial review and long delays in the completion of the project could be incurred.