Priti welcomes A12 route announcement
The Witham MP Priti Patel has welcomed Highways England’s preferred route announcement for the A12 widening scheme between junctions 23 and 25. The preferred route alignment follows on from the proposals in the 2017 consultation and the announcement made last year for the stretch of road between junctions 19 to 23.
Highways England have now been able to make this announcement after an independent planning inspector threw out the flawed housing plans put forward by Colchester Borough Council, which delayed the widening scheme by at least three years.
Priti, who secured agreement from the Government to fund the widening scheme in 2014, said: “This announcement is welcome and now gives communities along the A12 much-needed certainty about the future route for when the road is widened into three lanes. I have been campaigning for this decision to be made and now we can all crack on with working with local communities to get the road built. More engagement can now take place with local homeowners and landowners in the vicinity of the new route.”
“This decision could have been made three years ago but for unacceptable delays created by Colchester Borough Council, which caused uncertainty, rising costs and put the scheme at risk. Despite this problem, I’ve been working with the Government and Highways England to get this vital scheme progressed and the preferred route announcement issued. The widened A12 is funded by the Conservative Government and will be a boost for the economy, reduce congestion and improve safety. It also paves the way for further infrastructure investment, including the A120 dualling scheme.”
Documents
A12 Chelmsford to A120 widening – PRA junctions 23 to 25
A document from Highways England with details of the announcement on the A12 Widening Scheme and future route alignment.