Wealden contributes £1.1m to help drive forward long-awaited road improvements to A22 around Hailsham

Wealden District Council has this week transferred £1.1million of funding to East Sussex County Council (ESCC) to drive forward a package of highways improvements focussed on the A22 around Hailsham.

The £1.1 million injection of funding comes from Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) monies collected by the council from developers undertaking new building projects in Wealden towards infrastructure.

The package, once approved by the Department for Transport, will comprises junction improvements and active travel measures including improvements to roundabouts and junctions, crossings, improvements to cycling and walking zones, and better access to the Cuckoo Trail.

The council has already committed £4.35 million, raised from developers’ contributions and CIL monies to the bid – some of which has been allocated towards a package of improvements to the Boship roundabout, an area known for increasing traffic congestion.

The funding is necessary to keep the project on track and now enables ESCC to present a full business case for the works to the Government.  Receipt of the full funding for the delivery of the A22 Major Road Network (MRN) package is subject to government’s approval of the Full Business Case, expected this Summer.

The total value of the package in is £46.5m; £7m will come from development contributions (S106/Community Infrastructure Levy) and the remainder from the Government’s MRN funding.

East Sussex County Council expects construction to start in the Autumn.

Councillor Ian Tysh, Alliance for Wealden (Green Party) and lead councillor for Planning and Environment, said, “It is important that these infrastructure improvements are undertaken as quickly as possible to keep our District moving and enable local businesses to continue to thrive - that is why we have agreed to further funding from the CIL. The package of capacity improvements to five roundabouts will significantly reduce traffic problems and, support housing and employment development in Eastbourne and the South Wealden area. “