Millions Coming to Herts, Beds, Bucks & Northants

7 July 2014, 07:38 | Updated: 7 July 2014, 08:01

£323m is to be invested across Herts, Beds, Bucks and Northants over a 5 year period starting next year as part of a bid to move more funding into the regions away from the Capital.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

The Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership today agreed an historic Growth Deal with the Government which will see £44.2m invested. £11mn has been confirmed in the first year with an indicative award of a further £33.2m of funding from 2016/17 onwards.

The deal will help to create up to 4,000 jobs, allow up to 600 homes to be built and generate up to £30 million in public and private investment.

The key features of the deal for MK and North Bucks are:

  • Significant investment in local road and rail links to deliver essential housing, make it easier to travel around Buckinghamshire, create access to future employment sites, and reduce congestion for the residents of Aylesbury.
  • The new East West Rail line at Winslow.
  • Investment in a cross-LEP project run in partnership with the University of Surrey to bring world leading 5G mobile communication technologies to Buckinghamshire businesses.

BEDFORDSHIRE & NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

£79.3m will be invested over a 5 year period with £30.6m already confirmed.

The key features of the deal for Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire are:

  • Woodside Link, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire: the building of a new link road in Houghton Regis will give access to new sites where businesses can build and help reduce congestion north of Luton.
  • A421 improvements from Fen Farm to M1 J13, Milton Keynes: dualling of this stretch of the A421 will allow for housing growth in the area without increasing congestions.
  • Smarter Routes into Employment: will add more stops to the guided bus-way between Luton and Dunstable, making it easier for residents to get to key employment sites such as Luton Airport and Napier Park and to both Luton and Dunstable town centres.
  • Northampton College, Daventry Campus: will deliver a purpose-built campus to provide exceptional vocational qualifications to inspire students to achieve.
  • Leighton Linslade Engineering and Construction Skills Centre: The new centre will have engineering and construction expertise to train young people and adults to work as technicians in these key sectors
  • Bletchley Station redevelopment, Milton Keynes: creating of a high quality station gateway that will both improve pedestrian links/routes between Bletchley Railway Station and Bletchley Town Centre and to help modernise the station for the forthcoming reopening of the East West Rail line.

Central Government has agreed provisional allocations to the following projects starting in 16/17 and beyond:

  • London Luton Airport Surface Access: improved road access to the Century Park site which provides an important opportunity to grow airport related activity, the aerospace and high end engineering sectors.
  • Joining Up St James’s Mill Rd, Northampton Waterside EZ (supported by NEP): creating an additional bypass and improved access leading into the Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone and improving access to currently underutilise parts of the Zone.

HERTFORDSHIRE

£53.3m has already been locked-in for Hertfordshire, with total of £199.3m over a 5 year period, starting in 2015.

The key features of the deal for Hertfordshire are:

  • Major improvements to transport links to relieve congestion, reduce journey times and help businesses grow across Hertfordshire by improving links between London and local towns. This includes extending the Metropolitan underground line, new stations at Cassiobridge and Watford Vicarage Road and work to reduce congestion on the A602 and Buslink 2016.
  • A new Growth Hub offering specialist advice to small businesses on how they can grow and access markets.
  • Support for life sciences, a key sector in Hertfordshire, with investment at the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst and Rothamsted Research campus to increase the research facilities and capability.
  • Three Growth Area Forums will be established covering A1(M), M11/A10 and M1/M25, which bring together local partners to accelerate housing delivery