Multi-Million pound transport boost for Aylesbury

People in Aylesbury will benefit from over £8million of investment in their local transport infrastructure as part of a scheme to support expanding communities, new homes and jobs for the next generation, announced by the Government today. The Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF), established by the Department for Transport and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, will provide funding for new transport schemes in Aylesbury and other areas of the east and southeast of England. ODPM Minister Phil Woolas said: "Over the last 30 years we have seen demand for new homes increase by a third as house building rates have halved. This is simply not sustainable. For the sake of the next generation we must act now; however, providing new homes is not just about bricks and mortar, it's about building communities supported by the right infrastructure - transport, education, healthcare and green spaces. The projects we are announcing today will ensure that thousands of new homes will be delivered hand in hand with new transport infrastructure." Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman said: "Sustainable communities need good transport links. The Aylesbury North Parkway project will serve planned developments in Berryfields and Weedon Hill, and relieve congestion in the centre of Aylesbury." Today's funding announcement gives the green light to: * The Aylesbury North Station Project - £8.17m will go towards the reopening to passenger use and upgrading of a 3 mile stretch of track and signalling, to create a new Parkway station, and provide a new public transport link for a sustainable extension to Aylesbury of 3,800 houses. Phil Woolas added: "There is no quick fix to providing transport infrastructure but we are clear that it will be delivered hand in hand with new homes, that is why today a consortium of local authorities is publishing an ODPM funded study of growth and transport links between Bedford, Milton Keynes, Oxford and Aylesbury as part of ongoing work on planning for more sustainable growth in the sub-region now and in the future."

Notes to Editors:

  1. The Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF) is a £200m fund jointly administered by the Department for Transport and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. CIF funding will be made available to transport projects supporting housing growth in the four designated Growth Areas (Thames Gateway; London Stansted Cambridge Peterborough; Milton Keynes South Midland and Ashford.)
  2. Details of the schemes announced today: * Aylesbury North Station (£8.17m): upgrade of existing single track and signalling to create new parkway station serving Berryfields and Weedon Hill developments north of Aylesbury (3,800 houses). * Cross Valley Link Road (£9.69m), Sandy Lane Relief Road (£4.51m), Sandy Lane improvements (£5.72m): three road upgrades to unlock major housing development to the south and west of Northampton, and to ease congestion in the town centre. * Corby Northern Orbital Road (£6.1m): to support development to the North of Corby and ease traffic congestion. * Wilby Way Roundabout (£1.3m): segregated left turn lane for westbound A45 traffic and widening to three lanes for eastbound approach, to improve traffic flow. Note: this project was agreed in principle earlier in the year, but held back for announcement with other Northamptonshire schemes. * Fletton Parkway (£7.1m): to widen the A1139 in the south of Peterborough, close to major housing development. * Great Notley Garden Village Access, Braintree (£4.8m): dualling of section of A131 Great Notley bypass, to unlock housing development of around 400 houses in the south of Braintree. * Bishops Stortford Green Links (£1.98m): improvements to walking and cycling in the East Herts/West Essex area. * Woolwich New Road (£2.62m): improvements between Woolwich town centre and the Royal Arsenal development.
  3. This is the final tranche of projects in a series of announcements on the CIF. Earlier announcements were as follows: * November 2004: £34m for two transit schemes in the London Gateway area to support the Olympic 2012 bid and local development. * December 2005: a further £34m allocated to two projects requiring urgent funding - Milton Keynes and Dalston Junction stations (in the Milton Keynes South Midlands and London/ Stansted/ Cambridge/ Peterborough growth areas respectively). * February 2006: £60m to support a further 10 projects - including £14.5m for transport projects in Luton, and £14.3m for improving bus priority routes in Aylesbury. * March 2006: £13.36m for 2 projects to support Fastrack in the Thames Gateway. 
  4. The East-West study funded by ODPM and managed by Buckinghamshire County Council on behalf of an east-west consortium of local authorities, can be viewed on the consortium's website at http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk

Issued on behalf of the ODPM by Government News Network South East. Regional ODPM press releases can be viewed at http://www.gnn.gov.uk

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