In his letter (Times, April 15) Peter Tattersley accuses me of “idealistic posturing” regarding the A120 and says I have failed to put forward any proposals.

The truth is that I have engaged with Highways England, residents and parish councils on this issue for many years and have put forward proposals, including a potential route over a decade ago. There is wide agreement that the current A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey has a poor safety history and heavy traffic goes through villages such as Bradwell every day.

I fully support making the A120 safer and more effective as well as providing relief for villages cut through by the current route.

Peter Tattersley mentions the notorious Galleys Corner junction. Again, there is no dispute as to how congested and dangerous that junction is, but he should look to the decisions made by Conservative-led councils to allow so much out-of-own development around it. 

Recent consents and a planning appeal decision that was a consequence of the Conservative’s Local Plan failure, will result in Galleys Corner having even more development around it and the gap between Braintree and Cressing reduced still further.

The solution to these problems is to secure a Local Plan as quickly as possible and to work up a scheme for the A120 that delivers both the road improvements needed and provides for Dutch-style walking and cycling routes as a benefit for local communities on the route corridor.

The proposal Mr Tattersley supports is Route D. That is an entirely off-line four-lane road through open countryside with no junctions on it – except a private junction for the waste incinerator and quarry at Rivenhall Airfield.

Route D is being promoted as a “Growth Corridor” and already developers have submitted proposals for 7,000 more houses plus commercial development directly linked to Route D at Silver End and Kelvedon – that is in addition to all the development already under way in local villages.

Delivering a solution for the A120, as for the A12, is a once in a generation opportunity to get it right. Simply building a huge new road through open countryside to accommodate even more traffic and development in the countryside is out-dated thinking.

Councillor James AbbottCounty Councillor for Witham Northern division
Park Road, Rivenhall

  • The other candidates for the division are Phil Barlow (Lab), David Hodges (Ind) and Ross Playle (Con).