WELCOME INVESTMENT FOR MILTON KEYNES AND SOUTH MIDLANDS GROWTH AREA

THE GOVERNMENT’S NEW TRANSPORT INVESTMENT PACKAGE FOR THE LONDON TO SOUTH MIDLANDS AREA IS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD in supporting the anticipated growth in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth Area. This is the response from the South East England Regional Assembly to the Government’s recent announcement.

The investment package included a range of road enhancements, public transport improvements and measures to help manage future growth in travel demand. For the Assembly, particularly welcome decisions on investment were:

• The widening of Junction 13 of the M1 and improvements to Junction 14 serving Milton Keynes;
  
  
• The encouragement given for the A421-M1 improvements;
  
  
• Upgrade of the West Coast Main Line;
  
  
• The Secretary of State’s positive stance on the importance of an early re-opening of the rail line from Oxford to Bedford;
  
  
• His support for public transport interchanges and additional/improved stations.

Cllr Nick Skellett, Chair of the Regional Assembly, said: "Following the publication of the Government’s Communities Plan, the Assembly has been actively lobbying Government for increased transport investment in the South East’s growth areas. We have repeatedly said to them that long-term growth is not sustainable unless you also invest in the infrastructure, especially transport. Therefore these decisions are very welcome and we look forward to working with the Department for Transport and the transport agencies on taking forward the programme."

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Alex Butlin, PR Executive - 01483 555221

Notes to editors:

1. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
2. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
3. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007