Essex County Council says Beaulieu Station 'one step closer to reality'
The leader of Essex County Council says they are "eager" to move forward.
Picture above: An artist's impression of what Beaulieu Station could look like.
Essex County Council has said the long-awaited Beaulieu station and the Chelmsford North East by-pass will be moving a “step closer” to reality.
The council said the Cabinet is set to approve the unlocking of grant funding of over £200 million, when it meets on March 16.
This comes after news in January of the possibility that the project might not go ahead following revelation that the overall cost of the project was projected to be more than was available.
Back in 2019 Essex County Council announced that it had been successful in securing funding from the Housing infrastructure Fund (HIF), and now needs formal approval in order to enter into an official agreement with Homes England to secure the release of just under £218 million.
This funding is in addition to the £99 million secured by ECC to support a new Link Road and Rapid Transport System to the east of Colchester.
The Chelmsford and Colchester funds combine to over £300 million, which that council says will help drive economic recovery from Covid-19 by supporting thousands of construction jobs in Essex.
Leader of Essex County Council, Councillor David Finch, said: “We have always been bold in our ambitions to enable sustainable growth in Essex and these projects will help to ensure there is vital infrastructure in place in the north of the county to support the rapid housing and population growth we are seeing there.
“We are eager to move forward with both, recognising the significant difference they will make to the lives of thousands of households. I would like to thank our local MPs and everyone involved for their support in getting us to this stage.”
Sophie White, Homes England’s Director of Infrastructure Grants, added: “We are committed to working with ambitious local authority partners seeking to meet their local housing needs through delivery of key infrastructure.
“Our multi-million pound funding will secure delivery of the new Beaulieu Station and North East Chelmsford Bypass, unlocking over 14,000 new sustainable homes as part of the local plans for communities in Chelmsford and Braintree.
“We’re delighted that this investment will also help Essex County Council to invest in sustainable forms of transport, boosting the local economy and supporting jobs in the area.”
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