Traffic signal works at Rainham's A1306 and Marsh Way junction are still going ahead. Councillors want talks on the cancelled £1.1m flyover cycle route.
Traffic signal improvements at the junction of the A1306 New Road and Marsh Way in Rainham are still going ahead, two Beam Park ward councillors said on Wednesday. Labour’s Matthew Stanton and Trevor McKeever welcomed the confirmation in a statement sent to Romford Today.
Their statement gives no start date. They say they will keep asking for updates on the programme.
The councillors also want more talks about a separate scheme that has been cancelled: a walking and cycling route across the Marsh Way railway flyover.
“The priority now is delivery of the junction safety improvements,” Cllr Stanton said. “Beyond that, we hope there remains room for a practical conversation about whether further safety and accessibility improvements can be achieved while respecting the other needs of the route.”
What the councillors are asking for
Cllr Stanton said the cancellation leaves the safety questions unanswered.
“While our immediate priority has always been improving safety at the junction of Marsh Way and New Road, the deaths of cyclists in the area and the absence of safe, continuous cycling provision cannot simply be ignored,” he said.
“We cannot accept a situation where people are discouraged from cycling because they do not feel safe, only for low cycling numbers then to be used as evidence that better provision is not needed.”
He accepted that the decision rests with the people running the council, and that the old design had drawbacks.
“We understand that the current administration has the final say over what form any future proposals should take, and how it balances safety against the practical needs of those using the route. We also recognise the genuine concerns about removing a traffic lane from an important route serving local residents and businesses.
“However, cancelling the previous design does not remove the underlying questions about cycling safety and access to employment. We would therefore welcome further discussion with Council highways officers, Transport for London, cycling representatives and local businesses about whether a more balanced approach is possible.”
Cllr McKeever said the councillors are not trying to bring the old plan back.
“Marsh Way has to work for a wide range of people. That includes people walking or cycling, passengers using the bus stops, drivers and businesses that rely upon practical access to the area,” he said.
“There are genuine physical constraints around the flyover, its gradient and the existing bus stops. We are not approaching this with a predetermined alternative, nor are we asking anyone to impose the previous scheme in a different form.
“We would welcome a constructive discussion with officers about what could realistically be delivered, balancing improved safety and accessible cycling with practical walking, bus and car access, as well as the operational needs of local employers.”
What the cancelled scheme would have done
Havering Council consulted on the Marsh Way Active Travel Scheme from 4 to 31 March 2025. The aim was a continuous route from the A1306 and the new housing around the proposed Beam Park station to jobs in the London Riverside Business Improvement District. The council put that district at 450 businesses and 5,000 employees.
The proposal included:
- a segregated cycle route between the A1306 New Road and the A13
- a single southbound traffic lane on Marsh Way from New Road, widening to two lanes at the Consul Avenue and A13 roundabout
- a wider footway and upgraded bus stops
- a shared walking and cycling route on to the Centre of Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME) campus
- a raised junction at the CEME exit with a new parallel crossing
- better lighting, including along the Marsh Way underpass
The council received 46 responses. Just over half agreed with the principle, and the single element most people backed was the improved crossing at the CEME exit.
| Proposal | Agreed | Disagreed | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| The principle of the scheme | 54% | 30% | 15% |
| Two-way cycle track and footway | 46% | 37% | 17% |
| Moving the southbound bus stop | 46% | 35% | 20% |
| Shared use through CEME | 54% | 28% | 17% |
| Better crossing at the CEME exit | 63% | 22% | 15% |
The council’s page says the results fed a business case submitted to Thames Freeport. Its last update, on 18 September 2025, does not mention the cancellation.
Why it matters to cyclists
The councillors’ statement and the consultation page do not give the reason for the cancellation. Havering Cyclists, the local campaign group, has published its own account.
It says it has called for the scheme since 2020, after NHS workers asked for safer access to CEME. It says those efforts stepped up after two cyclists died in separate incidents in 2021.
The group says the £1.1m project was to be paid for entirely by the Thames Gateway Project and Transport for London, with no Havering Council money. It also says the council, run by Reform UK since May 2026, has abandoned the scheme even though the funding was secured.
Havering Cyclists says it wrote to the council leader, Cllr Keith Prince, and received a reply on 25 October from Cllr Sue Benjamins on his behalf. The group calls the reasoning “misguided” and says it is seeking support to get the decision reversed.
What it means for you
- Using the New Road junction: expect signal works at some point, but no dates have been given. We will add them to our Romford roadworks and travel page once they are published.
- Cycling on Marsh Way: the protected route has been cancelled. The councillors want talks on what could replace it, but say they have no set alternative in mind.
- Working on the London Riverside estates: the councillors want local employers included in those talks.
- Living in Beam Park ward: Cllr Stanton is at councillormatthew.stanton@havering.gov.uk. For ward casework he asks for your full address, including postcode, and any reference numbers.
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