ALMOST £100 million of funding has been allocated by the Government for a link road connecting the A120 and A133 and rapid transit link. 

Essex County Council leader David Finch, welcomed a Government infrastructure funding boost of £99 million for the road which will reduce traffic along Ipswich Road and support a new garden community.

The funding, from the Housing Infrastructure Fund, will be used for an A120/A133 link road and rapid transit system in Colchester.

The link road will serve new park and ride sites and relieve traffic to Essex University and its Knowledge Gateway technology and research park.

Colchester MP Will Quince said the new road would also relieve congestion in Highwoods, St John’s, St Anne’s and Greenstead.

He said: “We have been working together to forward-fund some of the big infrastructure projects to make these developments viable.

“We already know one of the most congested areas is the Ipswich Road and Harwich Road roundabouts. With this road people could come off the A120 at the university and will not have to go through Colchester.”

There is no indication of time scale but the new road would tie in with the Local Plan.

Mr Quince said the important thing was the money has been secured.

Most of the land for the proposed link road has already been allocated for development as part of the garden communities plans and Local Plan.

Chancellor Sajid Javid said the Tendring/Colchester borders garden community bid could deliver a new single carriageway link road to unlock land for 7,500 homes.

A total of £2 million was spent on developing the funding bid.

John Spence, chair of North Essex Garden Communities, said: “We recognise a fundamental principle of building any new community is all aspects of infrastructure need to be created in tandem with any new housing.

“This news is an important step ahead of the councils’ imminent consultation on their revised Local Plan evidence.”

There are already plans to realign the A12 between Kelvedon and Marks Tey, with a new junction which will provide direct access to the proposed West Tey garden community. It includes widening the Kelvedon bypass to four lanes in each direction.

A rapid transit system will prioritise public transport on key routes in Colchester.

Neil Stock, Tendring Council leader, said: “From meetings I have been involved in with senior government figures it was clear to me the unique and fantastic partnership working here in North Essex between Colchester, Tendring and Braintree councils as well as Essex County Council has really impressed Whitehall.

“The government is as determined as we are to see the success of garden communities, where infrastructure is delivered before the housing as we have always said is the whole point of the project and as this announcement today establishes.”