GLOUCESTERSHIRE County Council has appointed Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd to build phase one of the spine road for the Cinderford Northern Quarter scheme, with work starting this spring.

Phase one of the work will see construction begin on the first 400m of the new Northern Quarter spine road.

This new road for Cinderford will start near the junction of Newton Road and Broadmoor Road, and head off towards the Northern United Industrial Estate and through to the A4136.

The first phase of the road will create access for the new college once it is built.

Although temporary traffic lights will be used at times in the Broadmoor Road and Newton Road areas to keep traffic flowing during the work, motorists will be advised to allow extra time for their journeys.

This first phase of the work has been funded with a £3.8m grant from the Gloucestershire Local Enterprise Partnership GFirst. The overall project will be completed in three phases with a total investment of £8.88 million.

This follows significant investment and preparation work carried out by the government’s land, housing and regeneration agency the HCA, to see the project from infancy to the construction stage.

Cllr Nigel Moor, cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure said: “I’m delighted to announce that work will start to build the new spine road this spring. The Cinderford Northern Quarter scheme will unlock more than £100m in investment for Cinderford and the Forest of Dean, and this brand new road is a key part of the overall project.”

The spine road has been designed sensitively to make sure the new route fits the character of the area and reflects the distinctive features of the site.

There will be natural treatment to the road edge where informal forest trees, bracken and grass verges will be planted.

Much biodiversity work has already been carried out under a European protected species licence from Natural England. Two new replacement bat roosts have been installed and great crested newts have been safely moved.

The county council will now be taking care of the future ecological work at the site and vegetation has already been cleared to create new grassland and woodland habitats.

Ian McSeveney, managing director, civil engineering at Buckingham Group Contracting, said: “We’re delighted to have secured this high-profile, important, project that will contribute significantly towards future investment and job creation for the area. Our team is already developing the detailed plans that will help the works to be delivered in a manner that protects biodiversity and the local environment. We’re looking forward to starting the construction work in the near future.”

David Owen, Chief Executive of GFirst LEP, added: “The funding received in the Gloucestershire Growth Deal that was allocated to the Cinderford Northern Quarter is crucial to the development of the road infrastructure, the development will sustain the Forest of Dean’s economy opening up this area of the county to a boost in jobs creation locally.”

Cllr Graham Morgan, local county councillor for Cinderford and Chairman of the Cinderford Regeneration Board, said: “It will be great to see the phase one work begin this spring. This is fantastic investment for Cinderford, and I know everyone is committed to making sure the new spine road is built in a sensitive and sustainable manner."