Government fund gives a vital boost to plans for North West jobs and homes
North West to benefit from a multi-million pound junction improvement next to junction 8 of the M62 in Warrington.
The North West is to benefit from a multi-million pound junction improvement which will unlock a key housing and employment site next to junction 8 of the M62 in Warrington creating more than 1,400 homes and 10,000 new jobs.
Highways England has awarded a £3 million boost to the £12 million road improvement scheme from the government’s new Growth and Housing Fund. The fund is a national Highways England initiative to improve the strategic road network for major development.
The £100 million Growth and Housing Fund is in addition to the government’s £15 billion investment in roads between 2015 and 2020. It provides financial contributions towards the cost of road improvements that are needed for new developments which promise swift delivery of homes and jobs.
The M62 junction 8 scheme, which will be delivered by Warrington Borough Council with additional funding from Warrington LEP and contributions from developers, will improve access from the motorway to the £1 billion, 575 acre Omega development site in Warrington.
The scheme forms part of the wider West Warrington package of transport improvements and supports the Local Authority and Local Enterprise Partnership’s plans for the creation of more than 1,400 homes and 10,000 new jobs in West Warrington which are served directly by M62 junction 8.
As key partners responsible for the overall development, the executive board at Warrington Council will have the opportunity to approve Highways England’s £3 million contribution on 12 December 2016.
Ian Parsons, Growth and Economic Development Team Leader, said:
Highways England is proud to support new homes and jobs by investing in its road network, building additional capacity to support significant development.
It is very good news that new homes and jobs are planned in Warrington. The improvements we are announcing today will ensure that people who live and work in Warrington will benefit from an improved road network and smoother, safer journeys.
Councillor Hans Mundry, executive board member for highways, said:
We are absolutely delighted to have secured this funding from Highways England for these vital Junction 8 improvements.
As well as providing improvements for existing journeys the scheme will provide much needed capacity to help support the further development in the area, such as on the Omega development site and Lingley Mere.
It is proposed that the construction phase of M62 junction 8 scheme starts in January 2017 with completion expected in late spring 2018.
Also announced today was a £5 million funding boost to kick-start a scheme to build a new junction on the A1 in Lincolnshire. The Growth and Housing Fund award from Highways England will assist Lincolnshire County Council in delivering the new £23 million junction south of Grantham.
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