A SECTION of the A13 in Hadleigh could be renamed to revive the town’s historical roots.

Plans are in the pipeline to rename London Road, between the Hadleigh Old Fire Station and Rectory Road, the Kingsway should the £60million masterplan get the go ahead.

The name originates from the Kingsway shopping parade which was constructed when London Road was first built in 1924 as a bypass to the High Street.

David Hurrell, of Willow Walk, Hadleigh, said: “I think it is a wonderful idea. A lot of people in the area still call it the Kingsway remembering when the shops were first built all those years ago so it would be a nice reference to the history of the town."

Restricting traffic along that section of London Road, and introducing two-way traffic along High Street is at the heart of the multi-million-pound revamp.

The final road layout will be decided when the results of a traffic survey carried out by Essex County Council are released next month.

The masterplan also envisages creating a new town square, improving shop fronts and creating better links between London Road and High Street.

Pam Challis, leader of the council and who sits on the Castle Point Regeneration Partnership, said she hopes changing the name will revive fond memories for the borough’s older generations who knew the road by the name years ago.

Mrs Challis said: “I think a lot of our older residents will be thrilled with this news and I would be pleased to make it happen for them.

“I really hope the results from the traffic survey support our plans so that we can give residents a lovely new town square and provide something for future generations as well.

“The fact that we hosted the Olympic Mountain Biking event so well showed how Castle Point is an up and coming area, and I really feel we will be able to attract developers because of it.”

The council hopes to formally adopt the masterplan by March 2014.