Hamburger roundabout revealed as public’s preferred option for Army and Navy junction

Proposals to re-design a vital gateway in Chelmsford and transform the way people travel in the city have moved a step closer.

The public were asked to have their say on proposals to re-design the Army and Navy junction as part of a public consultation earlier this year.

The Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package consultation, which ran from August to October, focused on two junction options – a hamburger roundabout (a roundabout with a road through the centre of it) and separate T-junctions - together with proposed Park and Ride and walking and cycling improvements.

More than 840 people completed the consultation survey, with 60 per cent identifying the hamburger roundabout as their preferred option, compared with 21 per cent for the separate t-junctions. 19 per cent were undecided or had no preference.

Today (Friday, 3 December), initial consultation findings were shared with the Army and Navy Task Force, made up of elected members of Essex County Council, Chelmsford City Council and Great Baddow Parish Council, as well as Chelmsford MP, Vicky Ford.

Having been updated on the public consultation and latest option assessment analysis, the task force recommended the hamburger roundabout is identified as the preferred option. This will be subject to a formal decision by Essex County Council, which is expected this winter.

Work is also ongoing to refine the proposals and the task force agreed that options to retain permit parking bays in Van Diemans Road should continue to be explored.

Cllr Lesley Wagland OBE, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Renewal, Infrastructure and Planning, said: “The Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package is an unmissable opportunity to improve journeys for everyone, providing better options for people to travel and encouraging safer, greener, and healthier ways of getting around.

“A significant amount of work has gone into getting to this stage and I am very pleased we are now one step closer to agreeing a preferred option and progressing with much-needed improvements to this vital gateway.

“We received excellent feedback during the public consultation, which has helped us identify how we could refine our proposals, and work is ongoing to see how they could be improved further.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who responded to the consultation and shared their views.”

Vicky Ford MP, Member of Parliament for Chelmsford, said: “It is great news that we now have a preferred design for the new Army and Navy Junction. This means that we can now move on to the next stage of the process.  

“I would like to thank Chelmsford residents who took time to look at the options and give their views - the majority of whom supported this design option.”

Cllr Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford City Council, said: “I’m pleased that we are moving to the next stage of addressing what happens at the Army and Navy junction.

“It’s vital that we take this chance to look at the whole of Chelmsford’s network, and improve the options for cycling, walking and buses, including Park and Ride. This will help reduce congestion and improve the local environment.”

A public consultation report, outlining the findings of the consultation, will be published later this winter.