Background work on long-awaited south Northamptonshire bypass 'progressing well', says MP

South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom welcomed progress on the Towcester Relief Road (TRR) in a post on her website yesterday (Tuesday, September 3).

Approval for the connecting roundabout on the A5 is expected to be obtained by Persimmon Homes in early December with an agreement for the roundabout on the A43 due by March 2020, the post says.

The submission for the technical approval for the relief road itself is due to be made by mid-December this year.

Mrs Leadsom said: “Persimmon is making good progress on the technical design work for the Towcester Relief Road, and I am pleased to see that work is continuing apace.

“It is our shared ambition that works will commence on the road before March 2020, pending discussions with Northamptonshire County Council’s speed review panel.

“I am arranging the next in the series of my regular meetings with Persimmon, the county council and South Northamptonshire Council (SNC) for October, where I look forward to receiving a fuller update on progress to date, including final confirmation of the funding mechanism between Persimmon and Highways England.

“Persimmon has already agreed to close the existing gap – around £4.6million – themselves, and is working with Highways England to secure this.”

Towcester residents and A5 motorists have been waiting decades for a bypass to resolve the long queues caused by the main road going through the town.

It was originally agreed for the housing developers to build the relief road to connect the A5 and the A43 once they had built the 1,016th home - with no time limit.

But that was changed to have the road finished by the end of 2020 or 2021 at the latest.

A spokesman for Persimmon Homes Midlands said: “We are delighted that, with the continued co-operation of all stakeholders, we will soon be able to embark on this major infrastructure project.

The relief road is being delivered as part of our development of a thriving new community on the outskirts of Towcester, bringing significant economic advantages for local people and transforming the area.”

SNC leader Ian McCord said: “SNC is working hard with all our partners to bring forward the relief road for Towcester.

"We have been working with Andrea and all partners to get early delivery of the TRR. Progress is being made and it’s essential that we keep up the momentum.”

The county council has been contacted for comment.