THE building of a new link road which will ease congestion in Aylesbury is set to take a big step forward.

Council bosses are moving ahead with the South East Aylesbury link road project through a number of legal actions necessary to get the scheme underway.

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Designed to improve connectivity around the town, the link road will join up with a future southern link road from the A418 Oxford Road.

Why is this scheme going ahead?

This comes as part of Buckinghamshire Council’s vision to create an orbital route around the town.

Nick Naylor, the council’s transport boss, said: “This is a major step forward in helping to realise the long-term aspiration for an orbital route around Aylesbury, to draw through traffic out of the town centre, and to ease congestion.”

What’s next?

To achieve the next phase of the plan, the council is taking legal actions to get the project moving.

The authority will buy the necessary land through a compulsory purchase order to ensure the land needed for the £35.5 million dual-carriageway road is available at the right time for planned construction to start in mid-to-late 2021.

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A ‘side roads order’ will also be used to allow the council to create two new roundabouts and feeder roads and to convert remaining roads to serve existing housing.

Cllr Naylor continued: “Compulsory purchase orders may sound draconian but they’re there as a backstop to protect all parties.

“We’d rather reach negotiated settlements, as a compulsory purchase order inquiry is a big burden on the council taxpayer.”

Can I have a say?

These orders will mean six weeks of consultation first — allowing residents to have their say on these plans before any further steps are taken.

The consultation is now open and can be found at www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/sealr

Following this, the council will apply to the ministry of communities, housing and local government to swap a small piece of open space needed to build a roundabout at Wendover Road.

The government will then set a date for a consultation on this.

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A final consultation on an update to the environmental impact assessment is expected to take place in October.

What does the scheme involve?

According to the council: “Transport modelling has shown that HS2’s planned realignment of the A4010 – to form the Stoke Mandeville Relief Road – would cause more congestion at the Walton Gyratory.

“The South East Aylesbury link road – which will connect the B4443 Lower Road with the A413 Wendover Road to extend the planned Stoke Mandeville Relief Road – provides the best solution to avoid this congestion.”