I recently attended a Member Engagement Group meeting to receive an update on progress at Beaulieu Park Station and see the work for myself. Platforms one and two are well underway with new track has also been laid. The next few weekends and the Christmas to New Year period are absolutely critical with each hour planned out in detail. From January, trains will start to use this new track so that work on the other platform can commence. The project remains on track and, once complete, will improve reliability all along the Great Eastern Mainline due to the passing loop track. This will bring benefits to all across the region. This is all possible thanks to £250,000,000 of government funding for station and the bypass. Thank you to all involved, including Essex County Council, Murphy’s, Countryside and Network Rail.
It is phenomenally good news for Chelmsford that £68.75 million of government funding for the new Army and Navy Sustainable Transport Package was recently approved. The new junction at the Army and Navy will make a huge difference to reducing traffic jams and boost our economy. It is a complex project and will time to deliver but we can now go full steam ahead to get planning approval, finalise engineering designs, procurement, appoint contractors etc. The funding is conditional on all these elements going smoothly. The total project is estimated to cost up to £81 million and I will continue to press for the project to be delivered as quickly and as smoothly as possible.
I was hugely excited to be present to see the new Beaulieu Parkway Bridge open at the end of last month, it will make a big difference to traffic in North-East Chelmsford and will be the link to much more future infrastructure including the new station and Chelmsford North-East Bypass.
We also got the news that funding to improve and enlarge hospitals across Mid and South Essex has also been approved. This will lead to increased capacity at A&E and wards at Broomfield Hospital as well as improvements at both Southend and Basildon Hospital.
We also heard that the hospitals have been removed from special measures following further inspections from the independent Care Quality Commission. While further improvements are needed this is a very positive announcement and I would like to thank all the staff who have worked so hard to introduce and imbed new changes since last winter.
As ever please do email me on vicky.ford.mp@parliament.uk with any issues or thoughts.
