THE Eastleigh borough is to benefit from a major cash injection aimed at tackling traffic congestion.

Eastleigh Borough Council is to receive £20m from the government to help resolve congestion ahead of plans to build 1,400 new homes in Horton Heath and the construction of the long-awaited Botley bypass.

The authority said the funding will help it meet government housing targets by making future developments more viable and helping to ensure homes are built quicker.

As previously reported, work for the Botley bypass is expected to start next year while new homes, community buildings, schools, footpaths, cycleways and new access roads are set to be built on land west of Horton Heath.

Council leader Keith House welcomed the news.

Cllr House said: “We are delighted that the council will get the funding for these two important schemes.

“Without this financial support these projects would struggle to go ahead or take years for work to begin, delaying the homes that our communities need.”

Cllr House said the authority’s priority is to ensure that traffic congestion is tackled ahead of building the new homes.

“The funding for these two schemes will help to achieve this by providing critical road infrastructure that will help unlock the delivery of these new homes”, he added.

The money will come from the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund.