East Cambs: £1m Funding For A14

11 September 2013, 06:04 | Updated: 13 September 2013, 15:56

Councillors in East Cambridgeshire have agreed to contribute £1 Million to help fund the A14 improvements.

Councillors in East Cambridgeshire have agreed in principle to provide £1million of funding to improve the A14 for the benefit of residents throughout the East of England.

The funding, which is part of a local contribution of £100m to the £1.5billion project, will be paid via instalments of £40,000 from 2020.

Officers will now explore using Community Infrastructure Levy contributions from developers for this funding to ensure there is no call on local council tax.

The upgrades to the A14 aim to tackle the chronic congestion which has blighted the major trunk road in recent years as thousands of cars and lorries use the route to criss-cross the country.

The proposed scheme includes a new bypass to replace the existing road around Huntingdon as well as upgrades along the A14 as far east as Milton.

The project will include an element of road tolling and new roads designed for local use.

Councillor Peter Moakes, Chairman of Development and Transport Committee at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "When the A14 was first built no one could have ever conceived it would handle the amount of traffic it now does on a daily basis. Thousands of vehicles from all over the country use the trunk route as part of their journey to work, to transport goods or simply as part of a longer journey. Despite all the efforts to improve the situation, the road is now more often referred to as a car park rather than a serious piece of transport infrastructure. This cannot be allowed to continue.

"To make a difference, councils from across the region - not just Cambridgeshire - have come together to be part of the solution of the problem. This is in recognition of the impact the road has on the lives of all our residents and businesses. For congestion and hold ups on the A14 causes massive problems throughout our road network. This is why something needs to be done. The current project is our best hope to solve this problem once and for all."

This decision by the Development & Transport Committee is subject to any Councillor calling the item in.