AFTER the announcement yesterday of a £250,000 project to introduce traffic calming and cycling paths on Branksome Avenue in Stanford-le-Hope, the other projects that will be funded by the government's £690,000 offered the second tranche of the national Active Travel fund have been revealed.

They will include two new shared pedestrian and cycle paths being created in Stanford-le-Hope and a similar joint use path in Purfleet. There will also be changes to traffic priorities in Orsett.

The projects that will be put before members of the council's planning, transport, regeneration overview and scrutiny committee next Tuesday, and the Cabinet the following evening are:

• Orsett Cock Roundabout - New signalised crossing across the southern arm of the A128 Orsett Cock roundabout
• London Road, Stanford-le-Hope - Shared path between A1013 Rookery Corner and Stanford-le-Hope Railway Station
• Purfleet Road, Aveley - Shared path from A1306 to Aveley Community Hub
• Corringham Road, Stanford-le-Hope - A new cycle route linking town centre with the Sorrells roundabout via Billet Lane
• Orsett Village Experimental priority of vehicles through village to prevent rat-running of traffic and potential enhancement to crossing on A1013 to provide safe access for pedestrians and cyclists into the village

With the Branksome project taking up a big chunk of the cash the remaining £440,000 will fund the above five projects if they are all approved.

The Active Travel fund's first tranche in June of last year saw Thurrock Council controversially spend £288,000 on street signage, speed bumps and other measures that have been widely mocked, [L] https://thurrock.nub.news/n/speed-measures-mocked-by-councillors-as-lorries-still-thunder-through-village-34why-not-install-cameras34-is-the-burning-question [L+]with criticism coming from ward councillors about schemes that are ineffective and were not wanted.[.L+]

Had the council spent that money more wisely, it is likely they would have had around another half million in the second tranche but the cuts to the original budget were made after the government checked on how well its money had been spent.

However, cabinet member for highways Cllr Ben Maney said: "The first tranche of funding allowed us to bring in a range of temporary initiatives to keep our community safe while traveling.

"This next tranche will allow us to put more permanent measures in place that will provide our residents with safer and more secure infrastructure, that will not only help to protect them during the pandemic but will benefit them long term."

The council says residents most impacted by the new projects will be consulted before they are implanted.

Cllr Maney added: "Our proposals are community focused and we would like to invite our residents to share their thoughts with us. They remain at the heart of all the work we do and their support is paramount to us."