The local authorities of Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon, and Tendring, along with Essex County Council, have written to the Secretary of State for Transport today (Thursday 17 July), sharing their joint concern regarding the Government's recent decision to cancel the long-planned A12 widening scheme and calling for an urgent meeting.
Councils have expressed their shared position on the announcement, which was made last week, with it having significant implications for housing, economic and inclusive growth across the region.
This scheme, considered a committed project since 2020, aimed to address the inadequacies of the A12 stretch between Chelmsford and Colchester, which has been consistently ranked as the worst A-road in the country by road users due to issues such as journey time, safety, and road condition.
The letter reinforces that the cancellation of the project not only affects congestion but also hinders the potential for housing development, business growth, and infrastructure improvements across several councils in Essex, including the development of new and updated Local Plans:
- Braintree: Causes uncertainty around strategic growth and challenges in meeting new housing targets, with approximately 9,000 homes potentially affected.
- Brentwood: Affects the ability to deliver new housing growth with a target of 724 homes per year.
- Chelmsford: Full improvements to Junction 19 of the A12 are required to deliver future strategic housing and employment growth, including a new 4,500-home garden community.
- Colchester: Threatens the development of 11,000 homes and wider negative transport impacts on the city.
- Maldon: Impacts plans for new link roads and thousands of new homes.
- Tendring: Setback for growth, affecting projects like the Freeport at Harwich.
The letter outlines the severe economic implications the cancellation of the scheme will have, where “local businesses reliant on the A12 incur higher costs due to unreliability, affecting national productivity and the growth potential of Freeport East.”
It also states the significant wider benefits the scheme would have on other major infrastructure projects, including “the capacity needed to enable an upgrade of the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey in the longer-term.”
Councillor Barry Aspinell, Leader of Brentwood Borough Council said: “It is vital that we invest in our infrastructure, including these major transport routes, to go alongside new developments.
"Our concern now is that this decision will not only increase costs and cause delays but will also impact our ability to deliver new opportunities for our communities.”
Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader of Essex County Council and Cabinet Member for Communities, Economic Growth and Prosperity, added: "The cancellation of the A12 widening scheme is a significant setback for our region's growth and development. This is why all councils affected by this announcement have come together to urge the government to reconsider this decision and engage with us to find a viable solution.
“The A12 has been ranked the worst A-road in the country by road users, but that is just part of the story – it is much more than easing congestion – it is about unlocking thousands of homes, supporting business and economic growth, and delivering infrastructure-led planning to our residents.
“With Essex being a significant contributor to the UK economy, the region requires the necessary infrastructure investment to support our shared missions to improve transport infrastructure and boost housing and economic growth.
“We will continue to do all we can to maximise the growth potential of Essex and push for essential infrastructure projects, like the A12 widening scheme, not to be abandoned.”