THE decision to commit £1million of East Cambridgeshire taxpayer’s cash to support the upgrade of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon was approved on Thursday.

The development and transport committee agreed by majority to commit £40,000 a year for the next 25 years – a total of £1million – on funding the building work.

The whole project is expected to cost £1.5billion.

Council officers argued successfully that the economy in East Cambs is “heavily reliant on the A14 for links to the wider regional, national and European economies”.

The council will siphon off money from the new homes community infrastructure levy to find the £40,000 a year.

Liberal Democrat group leader Gareth Wilson said he remained concerned about the possibility of tolling on the A14, however, a move which, he says, could send vehicles rat-running through East Cambs villages.

He said: “If tolling is introduced on the A14, traffic including many heavy vehicles may short-cut through Ely and villages like Wicken, Stretham, Wilburton, Haddenham and Sutton. Turners of Soham already appear to be indicating that they wouldn’t use a toll road.

“With East Cambridgeshire Conservatives promising to commit £1 million of taxpayers’ money towards the A14 upgrade that will include this toll, it seems residents in the affected villages will be asked to contribute financially towards this threat to their communities.”