ESSEX County Council has said it is "deeply concerned" about the impact of the proposed design for the A12 widening on the local road network – while Maldon MP John Whittingdale has expressed his concern that the pressure on local roads can only get worse if nothing is done to ease current problems.

It emerged just last week that Maldon District Council (MDC) members and officers have grave concerns over the proposed design for the A12 widening scheme between Chelmsford at Junction 19 and the A120. The plans would see the closure of junctions 20a and 20b and the construction of a new junction 21 – but it is the local road network connections to the new design that have worried councillors and local officials.

On Thursday, 15 July Maldon District Council's Strategy and Resources Committee discussed a draft letter in response to the current consultation on the plans and have now passed that on to full council for ratification. The letter refers to how the proposals seem to have almost forgotten drivers from Maldon, Heybridge and the district. You can read more about that in the previous article here.

Now Essex County Council has confirmed that its officers and members are similarly concerned.

Councillor Lesley Wagland, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Renewal, Infrastructure and Planning, said: "Essex County Council is in the process of developing its response to the current consultation on improvements to the A12.

"Whilst we fully support the long-awaited upgrade of the A12, we are deeply concerned about the impact that the proposed changes could have to congestion on local roads which are already very busy.

"We are in discussions with Highways England as to how this can be avoided and are continuing to lobby government for additional funding to deal with these long-standing issues."

MP Mr Whittingdale has also spoken of the seeming lack of account taken of Maldon district drivers in the plans put forward.

He said: "It's all very well improving the A12, but my concern is that if you don't address the local road connections to the junctions, you are only solving half the problem.

"There is already significant pressure on Hatfield Peverel and the road through Danbury - and if you don't do anything about it, that pressure is only going to get worse.

"It seems to me that not enough account has been taken by Highways England in this plan of the fact that residents and businesses from Maldon district are travelling to and from the A12 to connect with the national road network."

The public consultation on these proposals runs until 16 August and any member of the public wanting to take part by leaving feedback can find more information by visiting the Highways England website at the link here.