Newbury - Funding approved for two major road projects.

[Administrator]

Newbury - Funding approved for two major road projects.

Government funding - via the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership - has been approved for two key Newbury road projects.

The first amount of funding is for £1.9m, and is for construction of the new access road to the London Road Industrial Estate off the A339. Redevelopment of the site will provide considerable economic opportunities for the town, as well as 300 homes on the brownfield site.

The second amount of £2.3m is for the Kings Road link through the Sterling Cables site. A planning application for redevelopment of this site goes before the council's planning committee on 18 March. (Today)

West Berkshire Executive Councillor for Highways, Garth Simpson, said: "The two schemes highlight further significant investment in our road. I'm extremely pleased to see the funding approved."

A339 Access Road

This scheme will facilitate the regeneration of the Faraday Road and London Road Industrial Estates in Newbury by providing direct access from the A339 to the site. This will involve widening the northbound carriageway approach to the junction to three lanes and delivering a new junction and access road to the site. This enables improved access to the nearby Strategic Road Network.

The regeneration of the site is included in the Council's adopted Local Development Framework Core Strategy. It has a positive economic impact through unlocking the area's redevelopment potential, thus allowing the delivery of substantial new business accommodation, new housing, retail units, hotel, and healthcare and community facilities. This would increase local employment and help to address the housing needs of the District.

The new junction onto the A339 will incorporate an at-grade pedestrian/cycle crossing. This will provide an important pedestrian/cycle route at a point where the A339 acts as a barrier for east/west movement. It facilitates access to the adjacent park and into Newbury town centre enabling good connectivity of the regeneration site by sustainable modes.

Kings Road Link

The Kings Road Link is a highly desirable scheme that supports delivery of the Racecourse strategic housing development (1,500 units) and provides clear benefits to businesses at the key Hambridge Road industrial areas through providing a link to the A339. It also improves quality of life for residents living on the existing, sub‐standard route.

Congestion in this area is already a serious issue, which could, if worsened, have a serious detrimental impact on the economic viability of the Hambridge Road industrial areas.

Proposals to improve the road network in this area of Newbury were developed by Berkshire CC in the 1980s. This included public consultation on a 'new link to Hambridge Road', leading to the inclusion of an approved scheme in the Transport Policies & Programme.

The Council safeguard a highway improvement line for the scheme and it is included in the adopted Local Development Framework Core Strategy and Infrastructure Delivery Plan. Negotiations are underway with the landowner of the highly contaminated Sterling Cables site to enable the scheme to be accommodated within the site, whilst unlocking the redevelopment potential of the site. This agreement to work together allows the scheme's timely delivery now that funding has been achieved.