COUNTY Hall has been given millions of pounds to improve cycle facilities in five towns in Essex.

The Department for Transport has handed the county council £7,358,700 to fund improvements, some of which will be made in Braintree.

The cash will help with the construction of a 'Dutch' style roundabout at the Coggeshall Road and Railway Street junction - which is currently a double mini roundabout.

A 'Dutch' style roundabout sees priority given to cyclists and pedestrians.

The cash will also be used to set up two dedicated cycle and walking lanes.

One will run from east to west for 0.9 miles from the new 'Dutch' roundabout along Coggeshall Road, through Bank Street and down Panfield Lane to the junction with Porters Field.

The second route will run for 0.3 miles from Station Approach, down South Street and Fairfield Road.

Both routes will be separated from the road and a 20mph speed limit installed to make it user friendly.

A 'school streets' approach will also be adopted which will only allow pedestrians and cyclists to access roads outside Tabor Academy and John Bunyan Infant School.

Essex County Council says the proposals for Braintree will now be developed in detail, with the advice of councils, councillors, businesses, cycling groups and other public groups.

Highways boss Kevin Bentley said: “Our schemes are radical. We have created a blueprint for active travel which will put Essex at the forefront of sustainable transport.

“These schemes will change the way residents use and think about their streets - spending more time in more attractive streets, where motorised traffic no longer dominates to the same extent. Not only will this be safer, greener and healthier, but it can also support the local economy by attracting people back to shopping and leisure in our town centres.”

Mr Bentley added: “We will not stop there. This amount of funding reflects Government confidence in our forward-thinking schemes. Everyone understands that as more and more homes are built, our roads and our lungs cannot take the strain.

"I am not against cars – they are vital in our rural county, but where we can, we should all sometimes choose to leave the car at home. It is up to us to make those choices possible.

“The future demands sustainable transport and a different future requires revolutionary thinking.

"We will be re-allocating road space – but only where it makes sense – and we will be consulting publicly on all proposals."