TRAFFIC congestion in the centre of Middlesbrough was at the heart of a meeting with the Government's Roads Minister.

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland’s Simon Clarke MP and Middlesbrough Mayor Dave Budd met with senior officials at the Department for Transport.

The Conservative MP arranged the visit so that Middlesbrough Council could set out its plans to tackle the Marton Crawl to Roads Minister Jesse Norman.

Speaking after the visit, he said: “It was a really constructive meeting and the Minister was able to emphasise precisely what the Government is looking for in terms of the bids it wants to support, and both sides could ask questions.

“Following on from my Parliamentary debate on the problem last autumn and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s visit to Middlesbrough in December, we are paving the way for a successful bid and it’s fair to say no minister at the Department is now unaware of the Marton Crawl."

Key themes discussed during the meeting was the need to ensure the plans underline the strategic value to Middlesbrough and Teesside.