Representation by Antonia Woodward
- Date submitted
- 17 October 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am extremely disappointed by the proposal to remove junction 20a and 20b on the A12. The removal of these will have the effect of diverting traffic from Maldon and the surrounding areas straight through the centre of Boreham in order to access the A12. Traffic will not follow the idea of accessing the A12 by effectively going northbound initially before then finally going southbound. Having driven the proposed route, it is extremely convoluted, whereas heading through my village is a much ‘easier’ proposition. Easier is not better! I moved to Boreham due to its nature of a small village where everyone says hello to each other when they see you. I moved out of Chelmsford to a village location I part due to health reasons. I have a neurological condition that affects my lungs- a smaller rural location means less air pollution. Having a huge increase in traffic volume will negate these benefits and contribute to a downturn in my general health due to more air pollution from traffic. I feel that Boreham and it’s residents are being treated as collateral damage with little interest paid to the view of residents. It it seen as the quicker and cheaper option for widening of the A12 by closing these junctions, but that full exploration of a myriad of options have not been fully explored but a knee jerk reaction of ‘quick and cheap’ has been the overriding factor in trying to force this plan through. I understand the need to widen the A12 due to the increase in road traffic, but at the detriment of village residents is a mistake- forcing traffic through villages that do not have the infrastructure to cope is going to not only impact the lives of village residents, but cause more traffic congestion due to smaller roads, jams that will frustrate commuters which in turn will encourage people to pay less attention in their hurry to get to the A12 at the risk to pedestrians and cyclists. I shudder to think about possible accidents and unfortunately fear that it will take a catastrophic accident to change the mindset of highways. Thinking about this now and changing proposals will, I think save lives. Yes, it may cost more expense in the outset, but will show benefits in the far long term, as traffic will in,y increase far beyond the capacity for any village to cope with the increase in not only cars, but HGV’s. Boreham cannot cope and I urge you to reconsider your plans.