Sir John Whittingdale, MP for Maldon, was disappointed to learn of the Government’s decision to cancel the A12 Chelmsford to A120 Scheme, calling it a “body-blow to plans for growth and development in mid-Essex.”
This announcement comes after the Government’s Spending Review, and was communicated to Sir John via a letter from Lilian Greenwood MP, Transport Minister, sent to Essex MPs.
The infrastructure project — planned with funds identified by the previous Conservative Government — would free up congestion hotspots and capacity constraints in mid-Essex and facilitate the planned growth of new homes and jobs over the next twenty years. Sir John has described the Government’s decision to cancel this scheme as one that “undermines the Chelmsford Local Plan, jeopardising plans for 11,000 new homes and around 4,000 new jobs.”
The Minister has said she recognises that this announcement will come as a disappointment to local communities and is “conscious of local housing needs”. Additionally, she has indicated that despite the decision, the government is supposedly committed to developing transport infrastructure across the country.
Following the decision Sir John has said “The Government cannot now expect local authorities in mid-Essex to accept the imposition of a huge number of new houses while at the same time failing to fund the supporting infrastructure that they require.”
See below for the Transport Minister’s Letter to Essex MPs.
