Member Article

Designs for £70m M20 improvement plans revealed

Ashford Borough Council has today announced they are in consultation with Highways England over the design details of a proposed new £70m junction on the M20 in Ashford.

Located 700 metres east of the existing junction 10, it is hoped the new junction 10a will unlock job-creation developments and improve infrastructure for local services.

This comes 18 months after the Government announced its decision to approve funding for the long-awaited project with both the South East Local Enterprise and Highways England footing the bill, along with contributions from developers.

The improvements are driven by the Ashford Strategic Delivery Board and forms a key part of their ‘big eight’ economic and commercial development projects, which also includes the potential development of a commercial quarter along with new homes and leisure facilities.

Ashford Borough Council have already had a £75m leisure development for Ashford town centre greenlit in December.

A spokesman for Ashford Borough Council said: “The authority is a consultee on this application but we welcome the progress being made on this Nationally Significant Infrastructure project as it is one of the priority projects that we wish to see come forward.

“It’s important that residents and businesses engage in the consultation process to help shape how best this plan can come to fruition.”

Members of the public who are interested in the scheme have until 17 March to fill in a consultation questionnaire.