A PLANNED link road that could halve the volume of traffic on Huntingdon s ring road received a major boost on Monday with the announcement of £700,000 part-funding for the scheme in 2008/09. The road will join Brampton Road, near the railway station with

A PLANNED link road that could halve the volume of traffic on Huntingdon's ring road received a major boost on Monday with the announcement of £700,000 part-funding for the scheme in 2008/09.

The road will join Brampton Road, near the railway station with Ermine Street, near the old Travis Perkins outlet, substantially cutting the volume of traffic that has to make an almost full circuit of the ring road.

It is part of a complete re-development of the west-of-town-centre area proposed by Huntingdonshire District Council that will include homes, offices and a huge expansion of the town centre shopping area.

The new money will fund design work on the project and bringing forward development of the scheme.

The money has been allocated by Cambridgeshire Horizons, the not-for-profit company set up to deliver the infrastructure needed for nearly 50,000 additional homes earmarked for the Cambridge sub-region by 2021.

In all, Horizons allocated a total of £14.2million from the Government's Housing Growth Fund, from which a further £20million is expected over the following two years.

Huntingdonshire will get a total of almost £3million, with a further £3million for development of projects at the new town of Northstowe on the site of the former Oakington airfield. Cambourne will also benefit, with £500,000 earmarked for the villages' churches community centre.

In addition to the link road scheme, projects in Huntingdonshire to be allocated funding include £1million to develop an eco-friendly scheme of affordable houses in Mayfield Road, Hartford, which will get a further £350,000 the following year, £120,000 for a strategic open space development in St Neots, a £500,000 contribution to the development of the Huntingdon Gymnastics Club as a centre of excellence, and a further £500,000 for development of Cambridgeshire County Council's Grafham Water Centre.

Councillor Peter Bucknell, HDC's executive councillor for planning strategy, said: "Our partners have recognised the very valuable contribution that our market towns are making to the successful development of the sub-region. Our job now is to get on and deliver these schemes to the very highest standard possible in a timely way."

John Onslow, Cambridgeshire Horizons' director for development, said: "Cambridgeshire received the highest award of all the growth areas from Government, which is a reflection of the successful joint working we have in place. The new funds will allow Cambridgeshire Horizons and the local authorities to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to help deliver the county's growth agenda and improve the quality of life for existing and future residents.