Vote clears the way for Broad Street construction

Vote clears the way for Broad Street construction

Members of the Combined Authority’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee today unanimously recommended that the Board votes through funding to start construction of the main Broad Street scheme in the Fenland market town of March.

Members were updated on the completed March Area Transport Study Full Business Case 1 (FBC1) for Broad Street and agreed to recommend that the Combined Authority Board firstly approves the drawdown of £300,000 to complete the Full Business Case 2 (FBC2), focused on St Peters Road, Peas Hill, and Twenty Foot Road, and secondly, provides £4,149,825 to build the Broad Street Scheme.

The MATS Broad Street Scheme has a ‘Very High Value for Money’ benefit-cost rating and the proposed plans dovetail with the objectives of national, regional, and local policies.  The report cites:

• The need for regeneration in March Town Centre.
• The need to address existing traffic congestion and safety issues.
• The need to facilitate housing and employment growth across March.
• The need to improve local environmental conditions

The MATS Broad Street Scheme cuts road space allocated to vehicles and puts in an additional uncontrolled crossing on Broad Street to improve pedestrian accessibility. It aims to promote active and sustainable travel in March’s historic town centre and improve quality of life. The MATS Broad Street project and the March Future High Street projects are intrinsically linked, and one cannot be built successfully without the other.

Funding for the other schemes in MATS will be explored in FBC2.

The Combined Authority’s support strongly underpins Fenland District Council’s vision for the area as outlined within its Local Plan, published in 2014 – ‘to maximise the potential of the area and deliver jobs, skills, improved housing and new infrastructure’, and make the district ‘a better place to live, work and visit.’