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New road building will happen around Lancaster despite the hold put on controversial plans for a new M6 link, a Conservative councillor has said.

Andrew Gardiner, a city and county councillor, said he and others know confidential information about future road building ambitions despite suspension of the south Lancaster project this summer.

The claim was made at the latest full meeting of Lancaster City Council during a debate about revising the council’s local development scheme following the freeze on the government-backed Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) for south Lancaster and work on proposed M6 junction links near Galgate.

The scheme was put on ice earlier this year, with councillors saying the whole Local Plan needed a review. It followed an announcement by Lancashire County Council suspending the HIF project and proposed M6 changes.

Plans for a new link road from the M6 at junction 33 were put on hold earlier this year. Photo: Google Street View

Coun Gardiner claimed: “The road will be built. People have been blinkered about this. Coun [Phillip] Black [the city council leader] knows information which I know too. Roads build futures. We will build that road.

“We have already seen development with the Heysham link road. I know why the county pulled the [south Lancaster] decision because of the real reason. So do you. But let’s not have that debate now.”

Coun Gardiner then alleged: “NIMBYs in Lancaster may not want a new road, but the new Heysham road has created new opportunities for people to travel out of Morecambe without having to go through Lancaster. The Eden Project will bring benefits too and houses need to be built. I also know how much people need social housing.

“I think we are going backwards rather than forward with this revision. Development will happen. Developers will come up here with their big solicitors from the cities and will hit us.

Protesters outside a council meeting deciding on the link road plans earlier this year.

“The road will come. I know things that I cannot say. Confidential information.

“The university can see the benefits of this too. They want this to happen.”

Coun Gardiner also claimed: “Questions have been raised about south Lancaster, doctors’ surgeries and other things by the Labour group leader at the county council. He supports south Lancaster developments.”

Conservatives voted against the recommendation to revise the city council’s Local Development Scheme but the majority of other councillors supported it.

‘South Lancaster M6 link road WILL be built’ despite plans being put on hold, claims Tory councillor