A £104 million project to create a new motorway junction on the M20 at Ashford in Kent has been granted development consent by the Government. J10a will be built around 700 metres east of the existing junction 10.
Responding to the announcement by Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling, Cllr Gerry Clarkson, Leader of Ashford Borough Council, said: “This is yet more extremely good news for the town and another example of the momentum in Ashford’s transformation. Our Big 8 projects are all moving forward and the future is looking very bright indeed.
“Ashford Borough Council has long campaigned for the delivery of extra road transport capacity to cater for the town’s future needs. Junction 10a is another piece of the borough’s integrated transport infrastructure jigsaw to fall into place.
“The government’s decision to approve the long-awaited junction will be a catalyst for economic and commercial development in Ashford, creating job opportunities and improving the infrastructure of the town.”
Jo James, Chief Executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, described the announcement as “fantastic news”.
“So much economic activity has been locked up while we waited for this project to come forward and with this announcement today the brakes will finally come off these investments. This is a wonderful day for Ashford,” she said.
The town already has excellent rail, road, air and sea links providing businesses with easy access to 360 million consumers across Europe. Its unrivalled connectivity is a key reason Ashford was voted the best place to do business in Kent.
These include the high-speed domestic rail service which links Ashford with London St Pancras in just 38 minutes. The new M20 junction will provide the capacity needed to enable a major programme of economic and commercial development and house building to proceed.
