A report on the results of a consultation on a new dualled A120 between Marks Tey and Braintree has been revealed – but councillors won’t back an option yet.

Five options for a dual carriageway A120 between Braintree and the A12 went out for consultation earlier this year.

Four of the options have now been found to be “viable” following the consultation and a feasibility study.

The fifth option, known as route A, did not enjoy as much support and councillors have been recommended to agree it is “unlikely to emerge as a candidate” for the route.

Essex County Council has published the study a week ahead of its next Cabinet meeting.

They were expected to put forward County Hall's favoured option or options at the meeting.

But the report which will go to members said it is advised the most appropriate response would be “to announce that it has no single favoured A120 option and that a number of options are still being considered.” 

It added: “In the absence of an overwhelmingly strong single candidate option, there is a significant risk that any option chosen by Essex County Council as a favoured option could differ from the option identified by Highways England.”

The report said the council was aware this would be disappointing to the public.

It added: “Having previously stated its intention to announce a favoured option, this may be disappointing to the public.

“However, it is considered this risk is outweighed by the benefits of demonstrating that progress is being made and that the public’s response to the consultation has been acted upon.”

A recommendation on a preferred route option or options will be decided on through further study and passed to the Government which will make the final decision on the funding for a single route.

Kevin Bentley, Deputy Leader of Essex County Council, has welcomed the results as an opportunity to make history and create a modern gateway to the UK for drivers, businesses and freight.

He said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to the consultation.

“We had an overwhelming response and have heard the public loud and clear – improvements are long overdue on this stretch of the A120.

“We now have an opportunity to make history and build a road that will benefit people’s lives for decades to come.

“An improved A120 would form a modern gateway to the UK for drivers, businesses and freight travelling not only within our county but across the country.

“I will be taking the views of nearly 3,000 residents, businesses and commuters who took part in the consultation into our cabinet meeting next week.

“I plan to come out of that meeting with a viable route option or options to recommend to Government for further detailed technical consideration so our residents and businesses can feel the positive effects of this new road as soon as possible.”

The A120 Braintree to the A12 plans were submitted to a recent Highways England project assurance review.

The review team concluded that the project team is on track to identify a viable scheme for consideration for the Government to include in the Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2), a pot of Government money specifically set aside for investing in strategic roads across the country between 2020 and 2025.

In doing so, they gave the project a ‘green’ Delivery Confidence Assessment which is an unusually high rating for a project of this complexity at this stage of its development.

You can find out more by viewing the cabinet papers on Essex County Council’s website.