More than 50 Suffolk businesses attended a A120 campaign group meeting to show their support for the dualling of the road.
Jointly held with South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge, although the road itself does not touch Suffolk, it is used by a great deal of local businesses and residents, particularly in the southern part of the county and in the Ipswich area.
The importance of the A120 for Suffolk was highlighted by the presence of elected officials from both Suffolk County Council and Babergh and Mid Suffolk Council. A formal consultation into dualling the A120 between Braintree and the A12 near Marks Tey will open in January 2017, and over recent months the A120 campaign has been co-hosting a series of business led events, with the relevant local MPs, to demonstrate the overwhelming support that the campaign holds amongst local businesses. Today’s event follows similarly successful events in Braintree, Colchester and Harwich in recent months and precedes a Witham A120 business rally next month.
Today’s event featured speeches and campaign updates from George Kieffer (Chairman of the Haven Gateway Partnership), James Cartlidge MP, and Cllr Kevin Bentley (Deputy Leader, Essex County Council) and Cllr James Finch (Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Suffolk County Council). They were introduced by Cllr Jennie Jones (Leader, Babergh and Mid Suffolk Council).George Kieffer, Chairman of the Haven Gateway Partnership, commented: “We are grateful to the Suffolk business community for their continued support on the A120 campaign. This is clearly not just an Essex issue, the A120 as we have said repeatedly is a vital piece of the strategic regional network. When it does not work properly, the consequences are felt from Stansted to Stowmarket. ”
James Cartlidge MP added: “I am delighted that we have hosted this A120 event in South Suffolk because it shows the importance of this campaign at a regional level. Dualling the A120 may have its greatest impact in North Essex, but it is an extremely important road for my constituents, particularly those who may want to work in Stansted and other similar areas with plenty of employment opportunities. It is vital that Suffolk businesses joint their Essex counterparts in backing the campaign for a stronger road network across our region, including the A120’.”
Published by the Suffolk Free Press