Giles Watling, MP for Clacton, has welcomed the confirmation of £100m worth of investment in North Essex infrastructure.
Essex County Council (ECC) has now signed the final contract to secure this funding from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), which is overseen by Homes England. The funding will support the design and delivery of the new Colchester Rapid Transit System (RTS) and a new Link Road between the A120 and A133, which will benefit Tendring residents.
The RTS will see an unprecedented investment in public transport in Colchester, linking key destinations across the town through the creation of a transit corridor. It will offer fast and regular services from the Park and Ride on the A12, through the town to the new Garden Community and ultimately a transport hub located off the new Link Road.
The Link Road forms a key part of the new Garden Community and is being designed in collaboration with Colchester Borough and Tendring District Councils to ensure it complements and forms part of the development as it grows, as well as providing an integrated network of cycling and walking routes.
The Link Road and RTS are both due to be operational by 2024 in line with the first phase of the Garden Community.
Giles has regularly lobbied Ministers in Parliament on the need for more investment in infrastructure in North Essex, and has supported upgrades for the A120 and A12, both of which will reduce congestion for Tendring residents. Giles also chairs the Great Eastern Main Line Taskforce, which brings together local rail leaders and elected representatives to improve reliability, reduce journey times, and attract new investment. In March, he also raised the need to ensure that the Great Eastern Main Line is upgraded as quickly as possible.
Speaking about the investment, Giles said:
“Infrastructure in North Essex has been overlooked for too long and we need to see improvements to our roads and rails. The Government is setting aside significant funding for new infrastructure schemes as part of the Covid recovery, and I will do all I can to ensure that funding benefits our area. It is already my understanding that further investment will follow this initial £100m, which will deliver two incredibly beneficial schemes.”