ESSEX MPs have written to the Treasury to “restate the importance” of a long-awaited project to upgrade the A120 after leaked documents revealed the scheme has been shelved.

Braintree MP and Education Secretary James Cleverly said he had penned a letter to the Treasury urging investment in the A120, alongside Witham MP and Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Mr Cleverly said Education minister and Colchester MP Will Quince had also sent a letter.

“I have written, alongside Priti Patel and Will Quince, to the Treasury restating how important this investment in the A120 is,” he said.

“No decisions have been made.”

Internal correspondence within the Department for Transport shows work on the scheme has stopped after talks with the Treasury over funding pressures.

Leaked documents detail strategy over breaking the news to councils, MPs and the public.

In the documents, officials say stakeholders should be told about the decision to cease work on the project “on or before” July 21.

Gazette: A scheme to dual the A120 has been in the pipeline for yearsA scheme to dual the A120 has been in the pipeline for years (Image: Essex County Council)

National Highways had been due to announce a preferred route for the link road on July 22, linking with separate plans to widen the A12 from Chelmsford to Marks Tey.

In a document, titled “A120 (Braintree to A12) – Stakeholder Handling Plan”, officials say: “Local MPs and Essex county councillors are expecting a preferred route announcement before summer recess to tie in with the A12 scheme.

“We, therefore, consider the announcement of the decision to cease work should be made on or before 21 July.

“Councillor Kevin Bentley is known for generating national media coverage previously on this scheme with local MPs.

“There is a high probability councillor Bentley could allege a deliberate delay with the Government intentionally waiting to disseminate negative information when residents/general public are away on half term or summer holidays.”

In response to questions posed by the Gazette, the DfT did not deny the legitimacy of the leaked documents, nor did the department confirm whether it will be proceeding with the planned announcement on or before July 21.

Instead, a spokesman said he “could not go beyond” the department’s previous statement, which read: “No decision has been made on the A120 Braintree to A12 scheme and any updates will be set out in due course.”

The Treasury referred the Gazette to the DfT for comment.

Ross Playle, Essex county councillor for Witham Northern, said: "‘Bitterly disappointing’ is the only phase to describe the shelving of the A120 reroute project if the leaked documents turn out to be legitimate. 

"A lot of painstaking work and money has been put into the planning of this vital upgrade to one of our region’s most critical trunk roads. 

"This work showed that passing through traffic in my local communities of Silver End could be cut by 59 per cent and by 43 per cent in Bradwell near Coggeshall." 

Gazette: Councillor Ross PlayleCouncillor Ross Playle

Mr Playle added: "National Highways representatives visited local parish councils earlier this year and gave public assurances the additional surveys they were undertaking were a validation exercise of the work Essex County Council had done. 

"Regardless of study, no evidence or model could be greater than the daily lived-experiences of my residents, particularly in Bradwell, who live on top of the existing A120 route and know only too well about how incident-prone this stretch of the road is and how important this reroute was for safety improvements.  

"I know there is strong appetite locally, amongst my colleagues at County Hall and from our MP, Priti Patel to see improvement works delivered."