Transport Insights

The BBC has a very poor, and quite late, report on the decision to cancel the A120 Braintree to Marks Tey dualling scheme, with no consideration of whether continuous road building is a good idea in a climate emergency, or even the only solution to a poor safety record.

The cancellation of the scheme emerged when the Road Investment Strategy was published in March and it was removed from the pipeline of future works.

Ministers say the project is no longer affordable, but some of those who live, work and travel on the trunk road are angered by the decision and fear for its future sustainability.

Having admitted that it may only be “some” people who are angered by the decision, the BBC then devotes its article exclusively to those views.

The road does appear to have an appalling safety record, approximately one fatality a year this century but:

Average speed cameras were installed between Braintree and Marks Tey in 2025 and a new 50mph (80km/h) limit was enforced for most of the route.

While it’s too early to tell what the impact of this might be, there will be statistics. But the BBC doesn’t need statistics, when it has subjective claims to rely on:

Hayley Mann, general manager of roadside pub the Kings Arms, suggests the introduction of the speed cameras has not lessened the danger and insists the route must be dualled.

“We had a crash about a week or two weeks ago [with] six cars all piled up there,” she says, looking out the window.

The problem is that people are told that dualling is the answer to safety problems on single carriageway roads. While they are statistically more dangerous, there are things that can be done, except that the government and National Highways have decided that safety is not enough of a top priority to generate the necessary levels of spending.

The article also quotes Paul Thorogood, who represents the Green Party on Essex County Council, on the safety issues but doesn’t make clear what his position is on dualling. I have contacted him to find out.

At the general election, the Green Party candidate did support road building in a climate emergency, much like the Scottish Greens when they got into bed with the SNP.

The article also quotes Braintree MP James Cleverly as complaining about the cancellation, while adding that “critics” have pointed out that the Tories delayed the scheme in 2024.

There then follows the shabby use of a self-serving quote from an government “source”, using anonymity not to reveal some inside information but to have a pop at Cleverly.