Thursday, April 24, 2008

MULTI-MILLION POUND TRANSPORT BOOST TO SUPPORT NEW AND EXISTING COMMUNITIES

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE TO GET £27.32 MILLION FOR TRANSPORT
Northamptonshire is to take a £27million share of transport infrastructure cash to support expanding communities, new homes and jobs for the next generation the Government announced today. The Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), established by the Department for Transport and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, will provide funding for ten new transport schemes in Northamptonshire, Peterborough, Essex, Aylesbury and the Thames Gateway worth a total £51million. ODPM Minister Phil Woolas said:
"Over the last 30 years we have seen demand for new homes increase by a third as house building rates have halved. This is simply not sustainable. For the sake of the next generation we must act now; however, providing new homes is not just about bricks and mortar, it's about building communities supported by the right infrastructure - transport, education, healthcare and green spaces. The projects we are announcing today will ensure that around 10,000 new homes will be delivered hand in hand with new transport infrastructure."
Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman said:
"Sustainable communities need good transport links. These schemes will open up access to around 10,000 new homes in the East and South East of England.
"Road improvements will ease congestion in and around Northampton, meaning quicker and more convenient journeys around the area.
"And the Aylesbury North Parkway project will serve planned developments in Berryfields and Weedon Hill, and relieve congestion in the centre of Aylesbury."
Provisional approval is being given to three road upgrades to the west of Northampton (£19.9m), which will unlock development of 4,000 houses, ease traffic congestion in the centre of Northampton, and create a more sustainable, orbital tranport system for the town. These improvements are subject to further work to ensure that the environmental impacts can be mitigated and are not of an unacceptable scale.
And £6.1million has been earmarked to support development to the north of Corby and ease traffic congestion at a Corby Northern Orbital Road. Finally, further work will also be taken forward on proposals from Northamptonshire County Council for a new Park and Ride scheme for Northampton. Discussions are continuing on how to shape this project and it is hoped funding will be announced shortly.
Elsewhere the funding announcement today gives the green light to a variety of projects including:
* Aylesbury North Station (£8.17m), which will go towards the reopening to passenger use and upgrading of a 3 mile stretch of track and signalling, to create a new Parkway station, and provide a new public transport link for a sustainable extension to Aylesbury of 3,800 houses.
* Fletton Parkway (£7.01m) a project to widen two junctions on the A1139 in Peterborough and create a new single carriageway linkroad, to support up to 2500 new homes.
* * Green Links in Bishops Stortford (£1.98m), which will make improvements to walking and cycling in the East Herts / West Essex area
Phil Woolas added:
"There is no quick fix to providing transport infrastructure but we are clear that it will be delivered hand in hand with new homes, that is why today a consortium of local authorities is publishing an ODPM funded study of growth and transport links between Bedford, Milton Keynes, Oxford and Aylesbury as part of ongoing work on planning for more sustainable growth in the sub-region now and in the future."


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