The provision of appropriate infrastructure is clearly critical to the effective delivery of the Sustainable Communities Plan. Since 2004, the Government working with partners in the Northamptonshire area have invested £100 million additional funding through the Growth Area Fund in Northamptonshire.
Furthermore the Government have set up an Inter Regional Board dedicated to delivering the coordination of sustainable growth across the Milton Keynes and South Midlands growth area reporting directly to Ministers.
Officials from the Department, the Government Office for the East Midlands and the Department for Transport are working closely with local partners to develop a package of measures to resolve the particular issues associated with the A14 and the local transport networks in the Wellingborough and Kettering area. I expect further details to emerge from that work towards the end of the year, when we will have a clearer picture on timing and the phasing of development.
Work with other agencies on the wider infrastructure issues is also progressing and these matters will be the subject of further consideration at the Examination in Public of the North Northamptonshire Core Spatial Strategy commencing in October this year. The purpose of the examination will be to test the "soundness" of the plan, which includes the delivery of infrastructure.
In addition, from the commencement of the new East Midlands Rail Franchise timetable in December 2008, rail passengers will benefit from a new hourly service between Kettering and London (including Wellingborough), increasing the number of off peak services on the midland main line to five trains per hour. It has also been agreed in principle to extend this service to a new station at Corby from December 2008.