FUNDING of some £6.6million has been approved for improvements to the Thickthorn roundabout near Kenilworth.
Warwickshire County Council (WCC) has approved the funding for work along the A452/A46 interchange – known as Thickthorn roundabout – which aims to create greener, safer travel, and bring forward housing developments to the east of Kenilworth.
The improvements include a signalised roundabout with widening of approaches to three lanes, and potential for access from the roundabout to an allocated employment site. It also includes infrastructure to connect the site with the Kenilworth to Leamington (K2L) cycle scheme.
The scheme is designed to mitigate the severe traffic congestion otherwise predicted to occur by 2030, and is also linked to wider development in the area, including an allocation for up to 1,800 new homes at Kings Hill to the north, and potential expansion at both the university of Warwick and Stoneleigh Business Park.
It forms part of a strategic extension to Warwick District’s Local Plan. The strategic extension focuses on land to the east of Kenilworth, which includes plans for around 1,400 new homes, land for education purposes, eight hectares of employment land, and other supporting infrastructure.
While the council is forward funding the scheme’s delivery, ultimately the costs of the scheme will be recovered from the developments as they come forward.
WCC planning spokesman Wallace Redford said: “Warwickshire County Council is committed to creating an infrastructure to support economic growth and provide the best for our residents – this allocation of funds supports these priorities. It will help ease congestion and improve safety along the route, as well as encourage more cycling by reducing traffic volumes on the surrounding routes.
“It will be in the best interests of all concerned for the county council to take control of the improvement works and forward fund them. This gives the council control over timing and allows a better alignment of the works with other planned schemes and an earlier release of allocated development sites.”
Any funding not spent on the improvements will be refunded to the council’s Capital Investment Fund, and any which is spent will be recovered from the developers concerned.
