Transform

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National Highways plans to transform journeys between Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge given the green light

A vital upgrade to improve hundreds of thousands of journeys between Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge has been given the green light to proceed. Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps granted planning permission (called a Development Consent Order) for National Highways to begin work on the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements, which will tackle one of the region’s most notorious congestion hotspots. National Highways plans will see the creation of a new 10-mile dual carriageway linking the A1 Black Cat roundabout in Bedfordshire to the A428 Caxton Gibbet roundabout in Cambridgeshire. Both existing roundabouts will be upgraded into modern, freeflowing junctions with a new junction added at Cambridge Road, improving access to St Neots and its train station. The project will fill in the missing link of dual carriageway on the strategic road network between Milton Keynes and Cambridge, helping drivers save up to an hour-and-a-half on their journeys every week. Lee Galloway, Project Director, said: “This announcement is a major milestone, not only for the us, but also for the many local communities who have long campaigned for improvements, as well as our stakeholders who we’ve been working with for several years. “Our proposals to upgrade the route between the A1 Black Cat roundabout and A428 Caxton Gibbet roundabout with a new 10-mile dual carriageway and a number of junction improvements are good for businesses and jobs, will improve safety and make journeys more reliable.” Dave Hodgson, Elected Mayor of Bedford Borough, said: “It’s great to see that we have passed another important milestone for the upgraded route. “I know so many local residents support this project and look forward to the vital carriageway and junction upgrades. Together we are making the Borough a better place to live, work and visit.” National Highways aims to start construction later this year. In the coming months National Highways will host a number of face-to-face public information events and online Q&A sessions to keep the local communities up to date on plans. For the latest information about the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements: • Visit www.nationalhighways.co.uk/a428 • Follow us on Twitter @A428Cat • Facebook www.facebook.com/A428BlackCat

ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor (BCM): East of England Results

The latest Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) in the East of England shows business confidence falling into negative territory across the UK, as companies face a cost of doing business crisis, alongside the cost of living crisis that consumers are facing. The Q3 East of England region key findings are as follows: • The East of England’s Business Confidence Index has fallen into negative territory, even though domestic sales have grown at the fastest rate in the region for over a decade, and the outlook for exports is one of the strongest in the UK • Supply-side problems are clearly weighing heavily on business sentiment. Problems with staff turnover and the

availability of skills are now more widespread than at any time in the survey’s history. This has led businesses to raise salaries at the fastest rate in nearly 15 years • At the same time, input price inflation is running at a record pace, as businesses contend with major supplychain disruptions and higher energy costs • Businesses are responding by increasing selling prices at the fastest rate in the region since the survey began in 2004 • Despite this difficult backdrop, investment spending is rising at faster rates than the UK average, but is expected to slow over the year ahead. All reports are available at www.icaew.com

East West Rail – making travel across Britain easier

The East West Rail (EWR) scheme will re-establish a rail link between Cambridge and Oxford to improve connections between East Anglia and central, southern and western England. Faye Holland, Chamber Board member and founder and director of cofinitive, was involved in a recorded interview with Stuart Edwards, Engagement Manager for East West Railway Company, to help showcase the benefits and opportunities to key stakeholders of implementing this rail line and connecting Cambridge to Oxford. Faye commented on the opportunity for talent, businesses and communities and how a joined up approach between public and private sector could be a huge benefit to the UK’s ambition as a centre for science and innovation, and the role that Cambridge had. Also how the EWR had great potential to reach even further – out to Suffolk and Norfolk for the east and into South Wales from Oxford – this could only be a good thing to cement our position as a global supercluster. The East West Rail team will be speaking at our St Neots Business Expo on Friday 14 October at Wyboston Lakes. Turn to the event pages for further details.

Switch onto energy savings

Limited funding still available for eligible businesses towards energy saving projects*. Find out more: www.pect.org.uk/projects/ene