March plans surge ahead thanks to unanimous vote by Combined Authority

March plans surge ahead thanks to unanimous vote by Combined Authority

Uniting in support of the collaborative work under way to make life better for people in the Fenland market town of March, the cross-party Board of the Combined Authority today approved the drawdown of £1.51 million to push March’s transport plans forward to detailed design. 

In the unanimous vote, following recommendation by the Combined Authority’s Transport & Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Mayor Dr Nik Johnson, the Board agreed the drawdown to move the March Area Transport Study forward to the next level – Full Business Case and detailed design. 

The transport committee had noted how the MATS improvement schemes showed the successful collaboration of delivery teams across Cambridgeshire County Council, Fenland District Council and the Combined Authority Transport and Business and Skills teams to bring real outcomes for the people of March – with 7 of the 9 minor improvement schemes having been completed and the remaining two to be delivered by February 2022. 

Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson: 

“Investing in market towns and in Fenland communities is absolutely top of our action plan so March qualifies on both counts. It’s heartening to see the councils that make up the Combined Authority board all getting behind March to support the town in realising its full potential.  

And there’s so much going on. The Combined Authority has funded the revamp of March’s historic railway station and that will provide a centrepiece for other developments in the town – not just the MATS projects but also the exciting Future High Streets work.”  

Broad Street highway improvements are closely aligned with the pedestrianisation plans for Broad Street being delivered as part of March’s successful Future High Street Fund (FHSF) bid.  

The Broad Street FHSF scheme is currently at concept design stage and work is moving ahead after the Combined Authority Board granted lifebelt funding of £180,000 to help meet the deadline to complete construction by April 2024.  

The MATS Broad Street scheme is tightly linked to the FHSF Broad Street scheme, so the two projects need to happen simultaneously to maximise the major boost envisaged in the town’s renovation plan.