£67million funding bid set to be submitted for Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package
Proposed sustainable transport package also includes walking, cycling and Park and Ride improvements to encourage safer, greener and healthier travel in Chelmsford.
Plans to redesign a vital gateway in Chelmsford and transform the way people travel in the city have moved another significant step forward after Essex County Council agreed to submit a £67million funding bid.
The council has agreed to submit an outline business case to the Department for Transport for the proposed Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package – the next stage of the bidding process for Major Road Network (MRN) funding.
The decision was made by Cllr Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council, having originally been due to be agreed at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet, and is subject to a call-in period. The council did not hold any public meetings during the week commencing Monday 12 September, including the meeting of its Cabinet, in respect for the official mourning period of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
The proposed package of improvements includes a hamburger roundabout (a new roundabout with a road through the centre of it) at the Army and Navy junction, as well as improved sustainable and active travel provision at the junction, with bus priority measures and walking and cycling improvements at the junction itself and on the approaches to and from the roundabout. The package also includes a 350-space expansion of Sandon Park and Ride, and a 500-space expansion of Chelmer Valley Park and Ride.
The £80million project, which will also be part funded by the county council and Chelmsford City Council, is progressing well, with latest site investigation surveys currently taking place to help inform the next stage of design work.
Based on the current programme, planning applications are expected to be submitted next year and construction is scheduled to start in early 2025.
Cllr Lesley Wagland OBE, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Renewal, Infrastructure and Planning, said: “We need to provide better options for people to travel sustainably, especially for shorter journeys where we want walking or cycling to be the natural choice.
“The Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package is an unmissable opportunity to do just that, encouraging people to travel in and around the city in safer, greener, and healthier ways.
“The redesign of the Army and Navy junction, alongside walking, cycling and park and ride improvements, will provide a long-term and sustainable solution at this vital gateway and improve journeys for everyone.
“A lot of hard work has gone into reaching this stage and preparing the detailed evidence needed to support our funding bid and I am pleased we now have agreement to submit our outline business case for the project.”
Vicky Ford MP, Member of Parliament for Chelmsford, said: “Replacing the Army & Navy with a new, better designed junction is vital for the people of Chelmsford.
“A huge amount of expert work, planning and design has already been completed and it is good news that this major project is now moving into the funding bid stage. This is an extremely complex project and it is important to get it right for future generations.
“I will continue to press for this to be completed as soon as possible.”
Cllr Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford City Council, said: “The City Council is pleased that the Army & Navy project is moving to the next stage. The City Council believes that it is vital that the project addresses traffic issues and sustainable transport connections (including cyclepaths) across Chelmsford, not just at this major junction.”
For more information about the Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package and to sign up for the project e-newsletter, please visit www.essex.gov.uk/armyandnavy.