"Something to do with a city whose metropolitan area had a population of over 120,000 not having a motorway within 50 miles. The only city in western Europe to find itself in such an infrastructural BLACKHOLE. "
In UK Norwich (pop 213,000) is 58 miles from a motorway. Many other cities in the Northern Periphery and Arctic region of Europe (EU term for an ERDF Region in which Stroke City is located) are much more than 50 miles from a motorway and also have issues with loss making infrastructure.
Chip anybody?