March 2017

WARWICKSHIRE MEANS BUSINESS

Sustained investment in transport supports the growth of Warwickshire’s economy

Warwickshire County Council have backed their clear commitment to supporting local economic growth with £74million of capital funding investment in the transport network over the last four years.

This sustained commitment to road and rail will continue as the council strives to ensure that businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire  continue to benefit from good connectivity to their labour markets and supply chains.

A significant element of this funding has been invested in addressing a number of pinch points at key junctions and corridors in the county, examples including:

* M40 Junction 12 and the B4100 near Gaydon (see photo)

* M40 Junction 14 and A452 Europa Way south of Leamington

* Warwick Street Gyratory in Rugby town centre

Further improvements are due to come forward over the next 12-18 months at the A444 Coton Arches roundabout south of Nuneaton and at the A46/A425/A4177 Stanks junction near Warwick.

Collectively, these schemes will help support access to town centres and major employment areas while also helping deliver housing growth demanded by the various Local Plans. These schemes also help deliver the priority objectives of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s Strategic Economic Plan.

Investment in rail also forms a key element of the county council’s strategy. This builds upon a widely-respected record of delivery which has recently included the opening of new stations at Bermuda Park and Coventry Arena as part of improvements to the rail offer between Nuneaton and Coventry.

The county council is now working with its partners to deliver a doubling of train service frequency in this corridor to help support better access to Nuneaton and Bedworth town-centres and the numerous employment facilities around Bermuda.

The next 12 months will also see the opening of a new station to serve Kenilworth, along with a series of enhancements to Stratford-upon-Avon station to improve its facilities and image as a key gateway to the town.

Going forward, the county council has a series of ambitious plans to improve access to key areas of employment and town centre facilities from the strategic road network. This includes the A426 corridor in Rugby, the A444 corridor between Nuneaton and the M6, the A452 Europa Way south of Leamington Spa and the A3400 Birmingham Road in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Further investment is also due to come forward at the A46 junction near Stoneleigh to support the proposed growth around the University of Warwick and Stoneleigh Park.

The ongoing investment underlines Warwickshire County Council's sustained commitment to keeping Warwickshire moving at a time of ever-increasing traffic-levels, explained Mark Ryder, the council's Head of Transport & Economy.

“An accessible and well-connected transport network is absolutely vital to driving and sustaining growth and prosperity in a local economy," said Mr Ryder. “That is why we proactively develop and invest in schemes across Warwickshire to ensure that, as much as possible, we keep up with the ever-increasing demands on the network caused by having such a growing and dynamic economy.

“The county council continues to work with partner organisations such as Highways England and Midlands Connect (through the West Midlands Combined Authority) to make the case for investment in the strategic road network. This will benefit both Warwickshire and the wider Midlands region and ensure we have a well-evidenced pipeline of projects based on the future economic needs of the area. 

"This  means that we are always ready to deliver road and rail schemes when the opportunities and funding become available.”

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