A NEW road from Shoebury to the A127, near the Tesco roundabout, is in the early stages of planning, it has been revealed.

Southend Council is investigating the possibility of building the road after 2014.

Anna Waite, councillor responsible for transport, said the proposals depended on the expansion of Southend Airport going ahead and whether Eastwoodbury Lane would have to be closed.

She said: “We would be looking at a new road running from the area of the Tesco roundabout on the A127 to Eastwoodbury Lane in the area of the Smallholdings.

“The council would expect this part of any new road to be funded by the airport and we would only be looking at funding a small road, from the Smallholdings to Warners Bridge, with access to the airport.”

“The next phase of the scheme would extend the road from Warners Bridge to Fossetts Farm and finally as far as Shoebury.

“A lot more work needs to be done, before we could even think of putting anything forward for funding.

“What I don’t want is anyone running away with the idea this is something we are going to do.

“There is a very long way to go and a great deal to be considered, before we can even think about drawing up plans.”

BIDDING FOR GRANTS COUNCIL chiefs hope to secure grants to improve traffic flow on the A127 at Kent Elms and at the Bell junction, in Southend.

Possible improvements include introducing filter lanes to try to get traffic flowing more freely.

Southend Council is bidding for money made available by the Government in the latest round of regional funding allocation.

It also hopes to secure cash to widen the boulevard on Marine Parade, between the pier and the Kursaal, as part of the City Beach scheme.

A bid for funding has also been made for the Victorias scheme, at the junction of Queensway and Victoria Avenue, where it is planned to produce a more user-friendly entrance to the town centre for cars, buses, pedestrians and cyclists.

The Government’s regional funding allocation has been cut to £80 million, which will have to be split across East Anglia.

Disappointed councillors say this leaves little room to manoeuvre.

Anna Waite, councillor responsible for transport, said; “This is a derisory figure. We have to be realistic in the schemes we put forward if there is to be any hope of getting the funding to carry them out.”

Plans for a new access road to the airport terminal, linked with the possible diversion of Eastwoodbury Lane, had been proposed but have now been dropped and will not be resubmitted until after 2014, because of a lack of funds.

Southend Council leader Nigel Holdcroft said: “We have to live in the real world. The only schemes which have any hope of being backed are those which can realistically be completed.”