Council announces £24m secured for major Aylesbury traffic-easing road linked to Woodlands project

A previous transport plan for Aylesbury published by the council

Bucks Council has announced, today, that it has secured an additional £24m funding to help construct a major Aylesbury link road.

Bucks Council confirmed that Government funding has been obtained to create the Eastern Link Road (South).

In recent years the authority has struggled to obtain funding for the traffic-easing project and was seeking a developer willing to take on the project as part of an upcoming housing development.

Bucks Council is overseeing, Aylesbury Woodlands, a housing initiative that will also see schools, sports and leisure facilities, healthcare services, and retailers constructed near to the town.

An artist's impression of what the Woodlands site might look like

Outdoor exercise trails, cycle routes and footpaths have also been included in the detailed council plan for the new development. Bucks Council also says the project will bring new jobs to Aylesbury.

Approval has been granted to build the site by the A41. To the north is the Grand Union Canal; to the east is Symmetry Park and the Arla dairy. To the west is the existing urban edge of Aylesbury, including Broughton. The site covers an area of approximately 200 hectares (500 acres).

The ELRS will connect the Eastern Link Road North and the A41 Aston Clinton Road.

Some transport experts have said that the ELRS will prove to be integral in improving Aylesbury’s slow moving traffic. According to one source, it is likely to have a greater impact on improving congestion than the currently under construction South East Aylesbury Link Road being built in Stoke Mandeville.

Bucks Council leader, Councillor Martin Tett said: “Even though we are facing challenges like inflation and rising costs, the Council is committed to making this project happen. We have secured over £24m of external funding through the previous Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund and Local Growth Fund to help build the road. Today’s decision takes us a step closer to securing a development partner to help us complete this important project and Buckinghamshire Council will enter into a funding agreement with the Developer to deliver the road as soon as possible.”

The council says more details on how the projects are progressing will be shared once the agreements are signed.