A12 widening scheme loses government funding after garden-communities plan crumbles


First West Tey bit the dust... now the A12 widening project looks like going the same way

The collapse of plans for a cluster of ‘garden communities’ in north Essex has claimed another victim… or success, depending on your viewpoint.
Last month’s announcement that a planning inspector had found proposals for large housing developments at West Tey and West of Braintree ‘unsound’ has led to the government withdrawing £272 million previously earmarked for widening a stretch of the A12.
The money had been pledged in its 2020 budget for the widening and improvement of the road between junctions 24 and 25 – scheme linked to the building of the West Tey garden community.
The news was greeted with dismay by the county council, a spokeswoman saying the primary reason it had supported the North Essex Garden Communities developments was that it allowed “the council to secure investment for infrastructure before houses are built”.
She concluded: “It’s therefore disappointing that the A12 funding will now not come forward.”
A nearby resident and supporter of CPRE Essex, however, said of the funding withdrawal: “A lot of people will be very relieved.”

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