Nick Timothy — the MP for West Suffolk — called for a relief road for Mildenhall as residents face the prospect of significant housing construction to the west of the town.
Nick said the planned construction of new homes needed to be accompanied by the relief road to ease traffic flows as congestion already put serious pressure on the town’s roads, especially at peak times.
He said: “With the prospect of many more homes being built, action will be required to maintain traffic flows and to improve road safety in the town. We will particularly need a relief road here to accompany the construction of around a thousand new homes in the west of Mildenhall so that existing and new residents can be sure of getting where they need to go swiftly and safely.”
The call came after Nick was given an informal tour of the Mildenhall Hub by West Suffolk Council’s deputy chief executive Alex Wilson and by portfolio holder for hubs Cllr Ian Shipp.
The Hub site combines a police station, leisure centre, healthcare and sports facilities, café, library and gym alongside space for Mildenhall College Academy and Sixth Form Centre.
The £44 million facility — which opened in September 2021 — delivers integrated community facilities and public services under one roof.
It incorporates services for residents such as a JobCentre Plus, as well as a sports hall, a lecture room linked to the library, speech therapy classes, 5G sports pitches and a BMX pump track.
Nick said: “The Hub is an exceptional facility with all you need in one convenient and modern space. The range of services on offer is impressive. The co-location of public services helps with their coordination and integration, making them more effective for residents while also delivering savings for the taxpayer. I’m struck by how important community facilities such as this are, and will be in future, as the number of people living in Mildenhall grows.”
Nick also took the opportunity of a visit to the Hub’s Café for a chat with the Conservative group leader on West Suffolk District Council, Cllr Beccy Hopfensperger, to discuss issues facing West Suffolk more generally.
Nick said: “Cllr Hopfensperger and I had a good chat about many of the issues that matter locally. For instance, we discussed the importance of work to improve local transport — whether it be the need for fight for a new rail link from Haverhill to Cambridge or bolstering community minibus schemes — so that residents are able to get to work and access services easily.
