Major changes to busy junction needed ahead of 60,000 new Essex homes

How the proposed changes to the Fairglen Junction at the A127 in Wickford could look
-Credit: (Image: Essex County Council)


Major plans to revamp a south Essex junction, where vital routes meet, must go ahead to allow for around 60,000 new homes to built and 80,000 new jobs to be created, a council meeting was told. Essex County Council has agreed to appoint a firm to carry out the major improvements to the Fairglen Junction where the A130, A13 and A127 join together. At a cabinet meeting of Essex County Council on October 8, councillors were told how the plans are vital to allow for the number of new homes proposed to be built.

The meeting also heard that due to rising costs the county council has written to the Government asking for additional funding and support for the project. Council members were also told how district councils should be drawing up funding from developers looking for planning permission to help the project.

Councillor Tom Cunningham, cabinet member for highways and infrastructure at Essex County Council said: “The scheme has been developed since 2014 and will address significant congestion and safety issues at the junction. The performance of the junction is needed to support the delivery of housing and employment growth in south Essex including Basildon, Castle Point, Rochford and Southend local plans which will collectively be delivering some 60,000 homes by 2043 and if this goes ahead its estimated 80,000 new jobs would be created in the south Essex area over the time frame.

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"The Department for Transport provisionally awarded local growth funding of £15 million in 2016, a public consultation was held in 2018, planning consent was granted in 2019, and the compulsory purchase order and accompanying side roads order was approved in 2023. As with all infrastructure projects that have agreement given in the last 10 years, costs have gone up and as such the gap that is needed to fill that funding gap has increased.

"Thanks to very sound financial management of this authority, not just over years but over decades, this authority has and continues to be in an unprecedented position to help enable significant major highways projects of this scale across the country. However it is only right that with high ambitious set by Government on housing numbers and all Government set housing ambition that if Government are serious about these housing developments being unlocked they make the required contribution to the infrastructure that will help enable these schemes. That is why the leader has written to the Secretary of State to support a revision business case asking an additiuonal contribution to the business case funding that was allocated.”

The major junction upgrade is expected to cost around £49million and the junction is used by more than 200,000 vehicles a day and awarding the contract now will allow the scheme to start in 2025 and be completed in 2027.

The project includes a new link road that will provide a direct route from the A130 southbound to the A1245, from where traffic can easily access the A127, at the Fairglen Roundabout. A new dedicated left-turn lane from the A1245 to the A127 eastbound will also be built, bypassing the roundabout, with a new dedicated slip lane and existing slip road. The Rayleigh Spur Roundabout will also be enlarged with additional lanes and traffic lights on two of the three arms.

Councillor Lee Scott, cabinet member for planning a growing economy added: “I wish to offer my support to this scheme, if we look at the plans of the new Government for extra house building, if we look at the job creation, without this scheme it would be impossible, I do not see how it could be delivered without these scheme going forward. But in saying that I think there is a role to play for our districts as well, under section 106 agreements to bring in extra funding to assist this scheme, I think that’s vital for all of the local authorities and indeed Southend unitary authority and Thurrock unitary authority which will benefit from this project. It’s vital that Government listen to our representations to them for funding but also that our districts have a role to play in as well.”