Priti Patel MP with Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper MP, during their meeting
Local road and rail issues raised with Transport Secretary
Witham MP Priti Patel has discussed local and strategic road and rail issues with the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper MP, at a meeting in the House of Commons. Priti discussed the delays to the redevelopment of Witham Station, future investment in rail infrastructure, the state of local roads and potholes, and the importance of the A12 Widening Scheme and A120 Dualling Scheme for improving journey times, road safety, and economic development in Essex.
Priti said: “Essex is an engine of economic growth but has been held back due to underinvestment in infrastructure. I have been campaigning for new money for our roads and railways and raised with the Secretary of State the benefits to the whole country of investing in Essex.”
“The plans to dual the A120 between Braintree and the A12 at Marks Tey have been delayed but because they are among the most advanced and developed strategic road plans in the country, I pressed the Secretary of State to do what he can to bring it forward earlier.
“The Secretary of State also heard me make the case for more investment in local roads to support repairs and for him to look flexibly at local requests to revise parts of the A12 Widening Scheme to address local design concerns. I also discussed the importance of working on a way to ensure that Witham Station is redeveloped and how this can be done in an affordable way.”