Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Plan for Change: Milestones for mission-led government, published on 5 December 2024, CP 1210, what transport infrastructure projects are under consideration; and whether the (a) A12 Widening Scheme and (b) A120 dualling scheme are included.

The government’s 'Plan for Change' sets out that, through reforms and rule changes, 150 planning decisions on major infrastructure projects would be fast-tracked by the end of this Parliament. Rather than specifying schemes at this stage, this is about setting up an efficient and effective approach to making timely decisions for those projects that require it in the coming years.

A Development Consent Order planning permission on the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) was already granted in January 2024. The future of the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) scheme is being considered alongside other road projects, as part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review.

Given significant affordability challenges in RIS3, the previous government announced that the A120 (Braintree to A12) dualling scheme, alongside all other schemes in the RIS3 pipeline, would be deferred to RIS4, for potential delivery beyond 2030.