The £22 million project to improve York’s Park&Ride service has been backed by the Government.

The Access York plans to replace Askham Bar Park&Ride with a larger facility and to create a new site on the A59 near Poppleton were named as one of 20 major schemes given “accelerated approval” for funding in the National Infrastructure Plan, announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement yesterday.

The move is a boost to the Get York Moving campaign, launched by The Press after the Government pulled funding from the project in June 2010. The campaign was backed by local politicians as well as Nick Clegg and David Blunkett, as well as the city’s biggest employers, including Shepherd Group, York Hospital, CPP and Benenden.

Ken Hesketh, chief executive of Benenden, said they would be well-placed to benefit from the A59 scheme. He said: “A Park&Ride route running close to Holgate Park Drive will ease our own localised transport and parking issues, help reduce pollution around our complex and show that businesses in York are being supported by transport planning.”

York Central MP Hugh Bayley said: “It’s a welcome boost to jobs in York, short-term construction jobs and longer term by bringing more visitors from out of town to spend their money in the city.”

Coun Dave Merrett, cabinet member for city strategy at City of York Council, said: “This will take a further 300,000 cars off York’s roads, reduce congestion levels; facilitate the development of the British Sugar and York Central sites, and reduce York’s carbon output by 1,500 tonnes per year.”

Planning permission has already been granted for 1,100 spaces at Askham Bar and 600 spaces at Poppleton Bar, and the council submitted its final bid to the Department for Transport in September. The project also includes an upgrade of the A59/A1237 roundabout and bus priorities along Boroughbridge Road.

Julian Sturdy, MP for York outer, said he had supported the principle of expanding the Park&Ride sites across York, with the exception of the proposal for Upper and Nether Poppleton due to the potential impact on traffic flow in the villages.

He said: “I continue to hold such concerns but I shall now work with local residents and councillors to mitigate against any negative consequences.”

The council will now complete the remaining legal and procurement processes before a request for full and final approval, and construction is planned to start early in 2013 with the sites opening by summer 2014.