Transport Minister gives renewed commitment to progress on the A120
Transport Minister Tom Harris MP met today with local MPs, councillors and representatives of local action groups to discuss progress towards the preferred route announcement for the A120.Transport Minister Tom Harris MP met today with local MPs, councillors and representatives of local action groups to discuss progress towards the preferred route announcement for the A120.
The consultation process for the scheme ended on 17th June 2005 and the Minister is required to make a Preferred Route Announcement before the scheme can progress further. The A120 is currently considered to be part of the Trans-European Road Network but it is not regarded by the Government as a ‘route of national importance’. The scheme’s £370 million cost must be funded under the Regional Funding Allocation to the East of England Authority, significantly delaying the prospect of its completion.
Mr. Newmark was joined by North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin and by both Essex County Councillor Norman Hume, Cabinet Member responsible for Highways and Transportation, Tony Ciaburro, Essex County Council’s Director of Highways & Transportation and Cllr. Chris Arnold, Deputy Leader of Colchester Borough Council. Representatives from two local action groups, the Cressing A120 Action Group and the Blackwater Valley Action Group, also attended the meeting.
Mr. Newmark said, “I was delighted that we had such a positive meeting with the Minister, even if it did come after a 20 month delay since I first raised this issue with his predecessor in Parliament. I feel that we made some progress by securing the Minister’s commitment to remove any further obstacles to the Preferred Route Announcement which is now expected to be made by mid 2008.
The Minister also responded very positively to the concerns that I raised with him regarding both blight and traffic congestion and will look to hold further consultation with those local residents in the near future. The current state of the A120 is completely unacceptable and the idea that it can be part of the Trans-European Road Network without also being considered by the Department for Transport as a route of national importance is patently absurd.”
Bernard Jenkin MP said, “We have managed to instil a new sense of urgency in the Department for Transport. A delay in construction until ‘2018 at the earliest’ is wholly unacceptable and would come 20 years too late. If the road has to be funded regionally it will crowd out all other funding and I am pleased that the Minister held open the prospect of a further meeting to discuss the designation of the A120 as a route of national importance.”
Mr. Michael Robinson, Chairman of the Cressing A120 Action Group, said “I was impressed by the reception we got from the Minister and thank Brooks for arranging the meeting. Although there is continued frustration at not obtaining the Preferred Route Announcement I accept the Minister’s commitment to bring this part of the process to a close as soon as possible and I look forward to the decision finally being made.”
Mr Alan Willis, Chairman of the Blackwater Valley Action Group said, “I am pleased that we have a fairly firm commitment to some further public consultation and look forward to the route announcement in mid 2008.”
Photo: From left to right: Mr. Alan Willis, Mr. Michael Robinson, Cllr. Norman Hume, Cllr. Chris Arnold, Bernard Jenkin MP, Tom Harris MP and Brooks Newmark MP
