A long-awaited relief road to cut congestion in Beaconsfield Old Town and “support the delivery of new homes” has been awarded more than £4 million in funding.

The cash boost was announced by the Treasury last week as part of a £224.5 million investment in local housing projects across the south east.

Wilton Park developers Inland Homes have completed phase one of their section of the A355 relief road, which runs from the A40 Pyebush Roundabout to Minerva Way.

The relief road proposal has already received £6.1 million through the Bucks Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership to help alleviate traffic issues in Beaconsfield and with this additional £4,472,144 funding, Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) is now expected to have sufficient funding in place.

BCC’s £6 million northern section of the road was given a “principle” go-ahead last August.

Councillor John Read, South Bucks District Council’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for planning and economic development, said: “Government policy now requires all local authorities to ensure local housing need is met.

“However, it is essential that this increase in housing provision is accompanied by the necessary infrastructure investment and we are pleased that the government recognises the need to invest in an area of exceptional housing demand with significant environmental and planning policy constraints.”

The A355, which runs from Beaconsfield to Amersham, regularly causes chaos for commuters who get caught up in rush hour delays caused by bottlenecks forming at a number of junctions along the road.

The new relief road will see around 800 vehicles travelling southbound in the morning along the existing A355 being diverted between 8am and 9am, and around 600 vehicles will be diverted northbound in the evening between 5pm and 6pm.

The bid for the extra funds was put together by SBDC and BCC officers.

Elsewhere in south Bucks, Abbey Barn Lane, in High Wycombe, will be realigned to make way for 700 new homes in a £7.5 million project as part of the cash boost, and a total of £12 million will also be awarded to the Princes Risborough expansion area.

Cllr Katrina Wood, Leader of Wycombe District Council, said: “We’re really pleased by [the] announcement that the government has decided to invest over £12million into infrastructure in Princes Risborough and over £19million in the Wycombe district overall.

“Where new or improved infrastructure is needed before new homes are built, it’s often difficult to secure the funding from developers to make this happen and housing growth stalls as a result.

“This investment from the government will break this cycle and, subject to the new local plan being approved, help us to get new infrastructure in place, which in turn will enable much needed new homes to be built within the district to tackle the chronic housing shortage.

Mark Shaw, BCC’s deputy leader and transport cabinet member said he was “delighted” at the district councils’ successful bids for the housing infrastructure fund awards.

He said: “We look forward to working with our district council colleagues to deliver the infrastructure needed to support the housing growth envisaged across Buckinghamshire.”