Have your say on proposals for vital Chelmsford gateway
Residents, visitors, businesses and their employees are being encouraged to have their say on an ambitious package of measures to re-design a crucial junction in Chelmsford and transform the way people travel in the city.
The Army and Navy junction is a vital gateway into and out of Chelmsford. However, people using it regularly experience congestion and delays, especially during peak times.
Essex County Council has thoroughly assessed a number of potential junction layouts and sustainable transport improvements and is now asking the public to help shape the final scheme by taking part in a public consultation, which was launched today (Monday 9 August).
The consultation focuses on two junction options – a hamburger roundabout (a roundabout with a road through the centre of it) and separate T-junctions, which are part of a proposed wider Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package.
This also includes a 350-space expansion of Sandon Park and Ride, plus a new Park and Ride site to the west of Chelmsford in Widford.
In addition, the proposals feature fully segregated and significantly enhanced walking and cycling facilities at ground-level at the junction, improved bus priority measures and further improvements for walking and cycling in Chelmsford.
An 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, has overseen development of the proposals.
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 provide better options for people to travel and to encourage safer, greener, and healthier ways of getting around, especially for shorter journeys, where we want walking and cycling to be the natural choice.
“There are no perfect solutions and no scheme would remove all queuing and delays at the junction, but we now have two options which offer the best balance for all transport users. By delivering a comprehensive package of measures that encourage increased walking, cycling and Park and Ride travel, alongside an improved Army and Navy junction, we can provide a long-term and sustainable solution, improving journeys for everyone.
“A huge amount of work has gone into developing and assessing our proposals and it is important we now share them in more detail and ask the public for their views. We have made no final decisions, and this is your chance to help us choose a preferred option and refine our final proposals.”
Cllr Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford City Council and an inaugural member of the Army and Navy Task Force, said: “The Army and Navy is a key junction in Chelmsford’s wider transport network, and is under pressure at peak times. So, I’m pleased that Essex County Council is progressing options to improve it, with strong business cases. It is vital that proposals address the needs of Chelmsford’s pedestrians, cyclists and bus users, as well as cars and other vehicles. The City Council will respond to Essex County Council’s consultation and I urge residents and businesses to do so too.”
Vicky Ford MP, Member of Parliament for Chelmsford and an inaugural member of the Army and Navy Task Force, said: “The Army and Navy junction is a key part of Chelmsford’s infrastructure. Much work has been done by designers and engineers to develop new solutions that maximise traffic flows whilst also minimising noise and pollution, as well as making it easier for pedestrians, cyclists and those using buses.
“I do encourage all residents to take a good look at the proposals and give their suggestions so that we can all work together to find the best long-term plan for the junction."
The eight-week public consultation is open until Sunday, 3 October, and details the scheme options and proposals, as well as the reasons behind ruling out other potential solutions.
A virtual exhibition, containing information about the proposals, is now live and will be available throughout the consultation. Visualisations, using estimated future traffic levels at peak times to show how the proposed junction options would look and work for different modes of transport, are also available in the exhibition.
The virtual exhibition, consultation survey and details of upcoming online and in-person consultation events are available via: www.essex.gov.uk/armyandnavy.
Printed consultation brochures can be collected at libraries throughout Chelmsford, the Civic Centre in Duke Street and County Hall in Market Road.