Boost for homes in Hertfordshire as council secures £172 million for travel infrastructure

Hertfordshire County Council has been awarded £172 million by the government for the delivery of a sustainable travel infrastructure for the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town (HGGT) project.

The county council is working with Essex County Council, East Herts District Council, Epping Forest District Council and Harlow District Council, along with development industry partners, to deliver the overall Garden Town project.

The investment bid for Gilston includes proposals for:

> A walking, cycling and public transport link from Eastwick junction to Harlow town centre via the railway station.

> An additional road crossing over the River Stort, linking the A414 at Eastwick with a new roundabout north of the river then onwards to Edinburgh Way via River Way.

> Improvements to junctions along the A1019, benefiting walking, cycling and public transport networks.

In Gilston, the infrastructure that this investment will help to make possible will lead to 10,000 new homes by 2040, with at least 3,000 in place by 2033, while 20 hectares of employment floorspace are planned at sites across the Garden Town.

Councillor Derrick Ashley, Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Growth, Infrastructure, Planning and the Economy, said: “This is fantastic news as the investment will be absolutely vital to the future of the Gilston area development.

"The proposed infrastructure will benefit the existing communities as well as new ones, with big improvements to come for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. It’ll also help to make more land available for new homes which otherwise may not have been built.

“This investment clearly shows the government’s confidence in our ability to build the infrastructure we’ll need to support new homes. It also shows the importance of the Hertfordshire Growth Board in our conversations with government over planning as we make sure we put in place the infrastructure our communities need and deserve, which will also benefit economic growth in our county.”