Traffic troubles on one of the busiest North Warwickshire roads could be a thing of the past if a council application for an eight figure funding package from the Government is successful.
More than five miles of the A5, between Dordon and Atherstone, could be upgraded into a dual carriageway after Warwickshire County council has voted in favour of putting in a £55 million application in to the Homes England Housing Infrastructure Fund.
Councillor Andy Wright, who represents both Warwickshire County Council and North Warwickshire Borough council was pleased with the decision to back the application.
He said: “I am delighted to support this multi-million pound Housing Infrastructure Fund bid which has the potential to bring much needed road infrastructure improvements to the A5 on either side of Grendon.
“This upgrade to the A5 will greatly improve the everyday commutes of local people. It has been developed through effective partnership working between North Warwickshire Borough Council, Warwickshire County Council and Highways England.”
The money will come from the Homes England Housing Infrastructure Fund - a £5.5bn pot to help support housing growth - and the A5 Transport Corridor project in North Warwickshire made it through the initial selection stage.
The scheme will unlock a series of housing developments via the following network improvements.
*Junction improvements at Dordon, Grendon and Atherstone.
* Upgrading the A5 to dual carriageway between Dordon and Grendon via offline dualling with connection to a new developer led link road between the A5 and B5000
*Provision of sustainable transport improvements along the route such as facilities for walking and cycling.
It is expected that the newly constructed section of dual carriageway and junction improvements will be adopted and maintained by Highways England and form part of the A5 Strategic Road Network (SRN).
The existing single carriageway section would be de-trunked and adopted by the County Council which would maintain the road for local use with additional provision for walking and cycling. This approach would be consistent with the wider strategic aspirations for the A5 corridor.
If the bid is successful, these works will become a catalyst for a series of wider strategic improvements along the A5 corridor. It is recognised that further works will be required on the A5 to accommodate North Warwickshire Borough Council’s full Local Plan aspirations.
Tamworth Borough Council leader, Danny Cook, backed the proposal in a letter to Warwickshire County Council.
He said: “The Tamworth Local Plan 2006-2031 is delivering substantial growth within the borough with significant developments on the border of the borough.
“Further large developments are planned adjacent to Tamworth within Lichfield and North Warwickshire and these developments will put increased pressure on existing infrastructure, such as the A5, particularly the A5/M42 junction 10.
“We recognise and support the A5 bid around Dordon but also wish to place on record our concerns that the A5/M42 junction 10, which is a well-known and acknowledged issue with Highways England, is not currently being considered for improvements, particularly in light of the impact of HS2 on business and development activity in the local area.
“Addressing the issues associated with this junction would I am sure allow an opportunity to deliver an improved junction facilitating further much needed housing and employment growth to be accelerated by providing essential supporting infrastructure.
“This growth will in turn maintain the Midlands’ productivity by supporting the efficiency of business-to-business movements.
“I therefore welcome that the bid be submitted to the Housing Infrastructure Fund and look forward to working with Warwickshire County Council in the future to deliver the Scheme.”
A decision on the outcome of the bids is expected to be received during the summer 2019.
