BUILDING 60,000 homes surrounding a notorious south Essex junction could risk “trading one under pressure road network for another”, the leader of Southend Council has said.

Plans for a £49m overhaul of the Fairglen Interchange – where the A130, A13 and A127 meet – are finally set to move forward after Essex County Council agreed to appoint a contractor last week.

However, during the meeting it was claimed that improving the junction will help build 60,000 new homes in south Essex by 2043 and help meet Government targets.

Despite welcoming the much-needed road improvements, councillors have raised concerns the knock on impact of the work and how building thousands of homes could create further problems.

Southend council Labour leader, Daniel Cowan, said: “The Fairglen Interchange is long overdue an upgrade so it is welcome news on one hand, on the other the timing of the works is a concern for people who will be travelling into Southend during the summer season for a break or day trip, and the effect this might have on our economy.

“Housing is much needed across the country and our infrastructure must be upgraded to cope with new houses, so this seems to be doing things in the right order, but they must ensure they build in capacity, so we are not trading one under pressure road network for another.”

The improvement works are set to be completed by 2027 and would create a one-way link road allowing drivers to skip miles of the A130 and join the A127 before travelling to Southend without using the Rayleigh Spur Roundabout.

Basildon independent group leader, Kerry Smith, is supportive of the works for the A127, which he believes will help unlock Basildon’s economic potential, but is more concerned about the homes.

He said: “You can’t have the housing unless you have the infrastructure, but I am not too excited about the homes, I am excited about improving the A127. It is a joke and not fit for purpose, it is the economic hear of south Essex and hopefully this new Government will crack on and support the work.”

Ron Woodley, Southend mayor and independent councillor for Thorpe Ward, said: “I would hope that everyone does their due diligence to make sure any homes don’t counteract the improvements taking place, it is about them taking due diligence and making sure we have free-flowing traffic.”