Directors’ Breakfast Club: 20 June 2013 Marks Tey Hotel
The importance of the A120 as an economic and strategic link, not only throughout the county of Essex, but also to Europe cannot be emphasised enough. However, it is not just about connecting major routes and transport hubs, it is also about the economic wellbeing of Essex businesses; it is one of the heaviest used roads in the county but is always extremely congested especially in the single carriageway section and is a site of many major accidents and thus a barrier to economic growth.
We therefore desperately need a new A120. In 2008, a report by Atkins, commissioned by the East of England Development Agency, recommended that the A120 should be classified as a route of strategic national importance to attract funding from other sources, and crucially that the single carriageway section be dualled in a scheme which, at that time, would have cost approximately £500 million. Unfortunately, the then Labour Government did not consider the A120 to be a priority and scrapped the proposed scheme. In February of this year, Priti Patel, MP for Witham, led a debate in the House of Commons, lobbying to finally get it listed as a strategic route on the priority scheme. In a discussion regarding potential financial investment, Gateway A120 was proposed as an innovative funding model.
Gateway A120 could help deliver the new dualled A120 by contributing to the cost of construction. This private-public initiative could be made possible by creating two new communities, based around the concept of the market town or garden suburb.
Their plans would contribute significantly towards local housing needs and would create thousands of new job opportunities, supporting long-term growth through:-
- High-quality homes and communities to attract skilled workers
- Faster, safer journeys between Colchester and Braintree
- A better connection between two of the UK’s global market-facing infrastructure assets – Harwich Port and Stansted Airport
- An investment valued at £1.1bn for the local economy
- The creation of 11,600 new jobs including 2860 construction roles
- Major additional contributions to services and infrastructure through Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levies
Their plans have been developed by local people supported by an experienced professional development team which is also engaged with the Department of Transport, Department for Communities and Local Government, the Highways Agency, local authorities and local MPs.
Join us for breakfast to learn more from Adam Dixon-Smith, Director of Gateway A120, about their proposals and to see how your business can benefit and how you can add your support to the scheme.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, 20 June 2013
Venue: Marks Tey Hotel, Marks Tey, Colchester
Time: 07.30 – 09.30
Cost: £18 (+ VAT) members & guests / £18 (+ VAT) non-members
Download and return the booking form with your cheque or credit card details. Alternatively book online at www.iod.com/essexevents (credit cards only).
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