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Hertfordshire A1(M) corridor It seems to most commuters, hauliers and Hertfordshire businesses along the route that the A1(M) road widening between junctions 6 at Welwyn and 8 at Stevenage is too distant a prospect to contemplate with optimism. Through-traffic from Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire shoehorns into a two-lane highway at Stevenage. Secondary roads clog with cars and vans scouting alternative routes to avoid a motorway incident or excessive bottlenecking. The A1 (A1M through Hertfordshire) connects London to Edinburgh and en route cities and towns, but its particular importance to Hertfordshire is its service as artery to key routes that criss-cross the county — A414, A602, A119, A505, A507 — delivering goods, taking people, getting consumers to retail centres.
Campaign for A1(M) improvements Herts Chamber, on behalf of its members and businesses in general welcomes the news in January this year of a consortium of county, district and town councils, together the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and working with the Highways Agency and Department of Transport, to launch a campaign for improvements to address the congestion.
Obtaining government funding The Hertfordshire A1 Corridor Consortium has identified the worst congestion occurs between junctions 6 and 8, making this a priority for
investment. The Highways Agency is looking at possible solutions, and will identify this area as a possible investment priority for their route-based strategy — their means to obtain government infrastructure funding. The Consortium is also considering investment — through the LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan — in junctions to reduce delays in highways access and exit, as well as surrounding road networks.
The campaign needs Herts business support The Consortium is fully aware that Hertfordshire competes with other counties for Highways Agency road investment — counties where there are active business groups joining the lobbying for government funding. The Chamber will be meeting with Consortium members to see what useful support to the campaign we can give. This is an important issue. We need to be vociferous about it.
Make Government aware The A1(M) issue is not anywhere on the government’s road improving agenda – scarcely a blip on its radar. We need to change that. We have important, useful and
Announcement The Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce that The Most Honourable The Marquess of Salisbury KCVO PC DL accepted appointment as Honorary President of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce in March 2014. Upon receiving his certificate of appointment from Herts Chamber Chairman Neville Reyner, Lord Salisbury said “I was delighted and honoured to be asked to be the Honorary President of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and accepted with great pleasure. “Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is the British Chamber of Commerce accredited chamber for Hertfordshire, one of 53 accredited Chambers in the UK which represent some 100,000 companies and 4 million employees. I was particularly interested to hear that the BCC is in the process of
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establishing an international network in 40 countries and I am sure such a network will be of major benefit to companies in Hertfordshire. “I applaud the Hertfordshire Chamber’s ambition to increase its membership and to encourage businesses across the County to achieve success. I welcome, too, the Chamber’s desire to strengthen its existing relationship with the University of Hertfordshire. “I look forward very much to supporting the Chamber in its work towards achieving these aims.”
profitable businesses along the route, and various town councils have inward investment campaigns that depend on reliable road infrastructure. We must be clear about the consequences of failing to attract government funding, and what it will mean to business, present and future, and our economic prospects. We whole-heartedly endorse the Consortium’s campaign, and will contribute to its success in what ever way we can, particularly in representing Hertfordshire businesses and gathering useful congestion impact evidence from our members. Herts Chamber is asking businesses to help with the lobbying and join the campaign to voice our need for A1(M) improvements. Infrastructure improvements are absolutely critical to the economic vitality of Hertfordshire. We need a big voice on the A1(M) corridor and will do what we can to support the Hertfordshire A1 Corridor Consortium’s campaign for government funding. Yolanda Rugg