Highways England unlock new opportunities for housing and growth

Three multi-million pound road improvement projects with potential enough to unlock 6,000 new jobs and 10,000 much-needed homes have been green-lit, Highways England has announced.

According to road authority, the newly approved projects – collectively worth around £45.5M – will foster opportunities for growth across Leicestershire and the South East. The schemes in question are:

• M27 junction 9 Whitley Way in Hampshire, which will unlock up to 3,500 homes and 250 jobs
• Anstey Lane (A46 / A560) in Leicestershire, which will unlock up to 2,378 homes and 260 jobs
• M1 junction 23 in Leicestershire, which will unlock up to 4,000 homes and 5,600 jobs

Of that £45.5M sum, Highways England will contribute £19.9M via its Growth and Housing Fund, with private sector investment and public funding making up the remainder. Crucially, this is the first time Hampshire has benefitted from the dedicated Highways England fund.

Jim O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Highways England, had this to say: “England’s strategic roads are vital for economic success, connecting businesses, people and supporting the government’s agenda of employment and growth. All of these improvements and future upcoming announcements will ultimately ensure England’s major roads continue to make a valuable contribution to the prosperity of our country.”

The £100M Growth and Housing Fund forms part of a £15Bn government investment in road infrastructure. The initiative provides financial backing to those schemes that are deemed necessary for housing developments, funneling new homes and jobs into the region.

Through the fund, Highways England has made contributions of over £60M to 16 improvement projects, unlocking over 30,000 new homes and 40,000 jobs.

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