travel news in essex

Heart Essex

Fia Tarrant 10pm - 1am

Now Playing

A Thousand Miles Vanessa Carlton Download 'A Thousand Miles' on iTunes

Traffic and Travel

• ALL MOTORWAYS
• Southampton
• West Midlands
• East Anglia
• Central Scotland
• ALL REGIONS

Traffic Essex

•   Essex
• Nearby: Chelmsford Danbury Braintree Billericay Chipping Ongar Cold Norton

Current traffic around Essex

Essex Roadworks

Let's Get Social

Get in touch with us or stay up to date with our latest news and updates.

Live Email Traffic Alerts

Get live email alerts whenever there is a traffic incident or roadworks on the on the roads you travel that may cause congestion or jams.

LEGAL NOTICE

Please remember that it is against the law to use your mobile phone, tablet or any electronic device without a hands-free kit whilst driving. If you're caught by the police using any device that can send or receive data whilst driving or riding a motorcyle you'll get an automatic fixed penalty notice, 6 points on your licence and a fine of £200. A court could also disqualify you from driving.

Elsewhere on the web:

Official source of traffic updates.

Transport for London's (TfL) portal for transportation in London.

The Welsh government's traffic information service for Wales.

Live traffic conditions and news for Scotland's road network.

Advertise to millions of motorists, holidaymakers and commuters.

Except where otherwise noted, content and photographs on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License . Owned, operated and copyright CliqTo Ltd 2024 and Chris Haycock . Registered company number 7575287.

Information

Welcome to the Highways Service Information Centre

Interactive maps and live travel information

Local Radio News 

Radio essex.

Live traffic and travel updates from the Essex Traffic Control Centre

105.1 FM 107.7 FM

95.3 FM (South Essex) 103.5 FM (Elsewhere)

Heart Essex

96.1 FM (Colchester) 96.3 FM (South Essex) 101.7 FM (Harlow) 102.6 FM (North Essex)

Highways information map

Live traffic and roadworks, traffic cameras and car parks, future roadworks map, prow interactive map, prow temporary diversions and prohibitions, collision data map, track the gritters, modal title.

Modal body text goes here.

Essex spot dubbed ‘Southend's trendier sister’ is the most affordable London commuter town

London has a buzzing social scene, from trendy eateries to state-of-the-art culture facilities.

But it isn’t for everyone, and increasingly, Londoners are looking to move away from the Big Smoke in favour of commuter towns . Outside of the capital, there’s typically more space, more bang for your buck, and less of a standoffish attitude on public transport.

Now, one trendy Essex spot dubbed ‘Southend’s trendier sister’ has been named the most affordable for London commuters ; music to the ears of anyone looking to save a few pennies while retaining a decent connection to the city.

Neighbouring the famous Southend-on-Sea, Leigh-on-Sea has swooped in for the accolade, boasting a gorgeous sandy beach, local art galleries, impressive fish restaurants and more attractive rents.

In the study by short-stay accommodation experts Nezt, it beat 105 locations to the top spot, including Ashford, Luton, Grays, and Tilbury, with combined monthly rent and travel costs coming in at a very doable £1,131.

But what makes Leigh so special?

Things to do in Leigh

Full of character, Leigh-on-Sea is inundated with galleries, independent shops and eateries.

The Broadway houses a unique mix of shops and cafés, apt for discovering independent boutiques or a cup of coffee with locally sourced coffee.

The Old Leigh is a once-bustling fishing port that now hosts a selection of pubs and fish restaurants, including the authentic, rustic-style cockle shed as well as the sit-down OakTree vegan restaurant, La Sirena and The Boatyard.

There’s ample opportunity to get outside too, with long strolls on the sandy Bell Wharf Beach or a leafy walk around Oakwood or Blenheim Park.

Leigh-on-Sea’s art scene is also particularly strong, housing the Old Leigh Art Studios, Two Tree Gallery and Piece Gallery, each selling local art pieces from local artists.

And if you’d like to learn more about Leigh-on-Sea’s history, trace it through photography at the Leigh Heritage Centre, described as a ‘treasure trove’ for all those connected to the area.

Nearby in Southend-on-Sea, indulge in a typical British seaside experience with a trip to the pier or the Adventure Island theme park. There’s also Shoebury East Beach and Thorpe Bay Beach, though these are likely to be more densely populated than the quieter sibling in Leigh-on-Sea.

There’s plenty in the way of entertainment too, including Boom Battle Bar, Kingpins Bowl, Dino Encounters Crazy Golf and the Odeon Cinema.

Council tax in Leigh

As is the case with most areas in the UK, the amount of council tax you pay in Leigh-on-Sea depends on the value of your property and which band it sits in.

In Leigh, if your home is valued at up to and including £40,000, you’ll pay a reasonable £1,396.02 per year.

At the other end of the spectrum, if it’s valued at more than £320,000, you’ll pay a whopping £4,188.06.

House prices in Leigh

So, how much will buying a house set you back in Leigh-on-Sea? A fair few pennies, but not as much as London – or indeed, other commuter towns.

According to data from Rightmove, in 2023, the average property sold for £465,166. Detached properties came with a higher price tag at £625,159, whilst flats went for a slightly lower £271,093.

These prices were 6% up on the 2021 peak of £431,047.

Meanwhile, unsurprisingly, renting proves to be a little cheaper than in London.

Data from Houses For Sale To Rent shows that prices currently range from £400 to a whopping £9,000 a month, but the average according to Nezt rests at £931 per month.

Back in the capital, the average rental property comes in at £2,119 on Zoopla, marking a 6.4% increase over the last year.

Commuting between Leigh and London

Leigh-on-Sea is well-connected to the Big Smoke. Trains take between 44 and 50 minutes and run directly from London Fenchurch Street to Leigh-on-Sea station.

By car, the drive into central London can take anywhere between one hour 35 minutes and two hours.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected] .

For your weekly property newsletter, for the latest news, features and advice, sign up for Metro's The Key newsletter

One man taken to hospital and M11 blocked after crash – recap

The man was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital

• Updated 15:33, 5 APR 2024

A crash on the M11 near Saffron Walden, just over the Cambridgeshire border with Essex, left one man in hospital. The M11 northbound was also partially blocked between junctions 8A and 9 after the incident, which took place just before 10am on Friday (April 5).

Essex Police confirmed that just one vehicle had been involved in the crash. The road appeared to be open before 2.50pm on April 5.

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 9.59am with reports of a collision on the M11 near Saffron Walden.

Read more: Live updates as car and lorry crash on A14 causes 'heavy delays'

Read more: Seven-mile diversion in place as overnight closure planned for village road

"We sent one ambulance and took a man to Addenbrooke's Hospital for further care."

Inrix, the traffic data company, reported at 10.19am: "The M11 Northbound is partially blocked, with slow traffic, due to an accident between J8A and J9 (Saffron Walden)."

CambridgeshireLive brought you updates through our live feed below.

Do you want more of the latest Cambridgeshire news as it comes in? Sign up to our dedicated newsletter to make sure you never miss a big story from Cambridge or anywhere else in the county. You can also sign up to our dedicated Peterborough, Traffic and Crime newsletters for the latest updates on the topics you are most interested in .

Road no longer blocked

The incident appears to have been cleared. It is no longer being reported on Inrix, the traffic data company.

This marks the end of live reporting on this crash by CambridgeshireLive.

One man taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service stated: "We were called at 9.59am with reports of a collision on the M11 near Saffron Walden. We sent one ambulance and took a man to Addenbrooke's Hospital for further care."

No reported injuries

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "This was a single-vehicle collision. There are no reported injuries."

Single-vehicle crash

Essex Constabulary has confirmed that just one vehicle was involved in the crash.

Slow traffic

Inrix, the traffic data company, said: "M11 Northbound partially blocked, slow traffic due to accident between J8A and J9 (Saffron Walden)."

Stretch of road amber on National Highways map

The stretch of road is one category below 'moving freely' according to the National Highways map below:

The categories are as follows:

Green - moving freely

Amber - one category below moving freely

Red - one below amber

Black - not moving

Black and white - road closed.

Map shows incident area

The map below, by traffic data company Inrix, shows the stretch of road impacted:

• Traffic & Travel
• Most Recent

Latest stories

King charles given first bank notes to feature his face.

Charles inspected the four £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes

King Charles is like a “favourite uncle” to designers Vin and Omi

Design duo Vin and Omi say King Charles' "fun uncle" personality comes out when they are working together.

King Charles banknotes: When will they be in circulation and will the Queen ones still be legal tender?

The release of the new notes is just months away

New Co-op store to open its doors in Cambridgeshire village this week

A dozen new jobs will be created in the local area

King Charles Has Charming Reaction to First Bank Notes Featuring His Face

The induction of the new money marks one of the last steps in the change of reign from Queen Elizabeth

Will Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew ever remarry? In their own words

King Charles' brother Prince Andrew divorced Sarah Ferguson in 1997 following ten years of marriage. As Scoop covers his Newsnight interview, look back at their comments about getting remarried.

Here's why SAS helicopters were spotted flying above Swindon

Two SAS helicopters have been spotted above Swindon.

Nato jets intercept Russian spy plane over Sweden

Eurofighters identified an Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft flying over the Swedish island of Gotland

An Israeli warship shot down an enemy threat in the Red Sea with a new air-defense weapon for the first time

The C-Dome, which is outfitted on Israel's Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, is the naval version of the advanced Iron Dome system.

U.S. Intel Warns of Imminent Iranian Strike on Israel: Report

Reuters/Abir Sultan/PoolThe Biden administration believes that an Iranian attack on Israel is imminent, according to a Bloomberg report released Wednesday.The dramatic escalation would come days after a strike on an Iranian mission in Damascus killed a top Iranian commander and other IRGC officials. Iran has blamed Israel for the attack and vowed to retaliate.The Israeli military has been on “heightened” alert for possible attacks from Iran in the aftermath of the assassination, although it has

Russia-Ukraine war latest: Missiles hit Odesa on WWII anniversary as Zelensky responds to Trump’s ‘peace deal’

Zelensky slammed former US president Donald Trump’s reported plan as ‘primitive’

Russian honeytraps useless against French spies … their wives already know

Honeytraps do not work on French spies because their wives are used to them having affairs, a television documentary about France’s equivalent of MI6 has revealed.

Shock defeat for Myanmar’s junta as rebellion snowballs

Hundreds of soldiers have reportedly been forced to surrender in a humiliating defeat for Myanmar’s embattled junta, as rebels close in on a key border town on the Thai border.

Some of Russia's 'prestigious' guided missiles may be malfunctioning and falling short of their targets: UK intelligence

The Russian AS23a Kodiak missile — also known as the Kh-101 — was designed to hit major military targets like airfields and ships.

The US Navy's grappling with another Ford-class supercarrier delay that could run into the next decade

Navy officials blamed USS Enterprise's extended delays on supply chain issues and lingering COVID-19 issues.

Ukrainian soldiers in row over demobilisation of long-serving troops

Ukrainian soldiers have criticised the country’s new conscription law after provisions were removed to send soldiers home from the front lines after 3 years.

US military rescued mariners stranded in the Pacific after they used palm leaves to spell 'HELP' on the beach

A US Navy reconnaissance aircraft spotted the men, who had been stuck on a tiny island in the Pacific for more than a week.

The US snatched thousands of illegal Iranian guns and gave them to Ukraine to repel the Russians

It's a helpful haul, but small arms like AK-47s and RPGs aren't what Kyiv's forces need most right now.

US sent seized Iran weapons, ammo to Ukraine

Washington has given Ukraine small arms and ammunition that were seized while being sent from Iranian forces to Tehran-backed rebels in Yemen, the US military said Tuesday.Washington made a similar transfer to Ukraine in early October, providing 1.1 million rounds of 7.62mm ammunition that was seized from Iranian forces on the way to Yemen.

The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war in Ukraine

IN FOCUS: Winged explosives weighing up to 1,500 kilograms – and nicknamed the ‘building destroyer’ – have had a devastating impact wherever they have been used, writes Tom Watling. Kyiv is battling them as best it can but needs Western allies to step up and provide more weapons, air defences and ammunition

Essex travel: Full list of November train strikes, dates and the Essex services that will be affected

Passengers have been warned not to travel on the three strike days

• 05:00, 31 OCT 2022

Get the latest traffic and travel news straight to your inbox

We have more newsletters

Planned train strikes are set to disrupt travel across Essex again as the dispute over pay rates and working conditions continues. The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) will be striking over three days in November.

Several strikes by rail workers have taken place over the course of October which were described as the biggest walkout of the year and are set to continue in November. The original dates for the November strikes have been slightly revised due to the Royal British Legion (RBL) Poppy day on November 3.

Now industrial action from RMT union workers will take place on Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November. Disruption is expected on either side of strike days and people are being advised to plan journeys accordingly.

Read more: The latest traffic and travel news from across Essex

The strike action on Saturday, November 5 will severely affect football fans travelling to see matches in the first round of the FA cup. Greater Anglia has advised passengers to make "alternative arrangements as kick-off for many matches is after trains will have finished running".

Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming railway strikes across the country:

Which Essex services will be affected?

• Greater Anglia

On its website, Greater Anglia has advised passengers to avoid using its trains on strike days and to "expect busy trains on the morning after each strike". They also warned passengers to check before they travel if they are needing to use the service and warned trains not running due to strikes will not be replaced with buses.

Greater Anglia said: "A very limited service will run between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, Colchester, Southend Victoria, Cambridge and on the Stansted Express between London and Stansted Airport, only between the hours from 7.30am until 6.30pm when all trains must have finished their journeys – and with no trains on any other routes."

c2c said its service on Saturday November 5 is further reduced from previous strike days due to planned engineering works, equating to around 15 per cent of the line's regular service.

• 2 trains per hour from Fenchurch Street to Pitsea via Laindon
• 2 trains per hour from Fenchurch Street to Pitsea via Rainham
• No service to or from Ockendon or Chafford Hundred
• Engineering works will mean rail replacement buses running from Pitsea to Shoeburyness during 07:30-18:30.

Monday 7 and Wednesday 9

• 2 trains per hour from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness via Laindon
• To be confirmed.

Why are the strikes happening?

RMT has announced more strike dates due to the continued dispute over jobs, pay and working conditions. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "Our focus in this dispute is the rail employers who have yet to make an offer that will create the conditions for a negotiated settlement.

"I call upon the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to unshackle the rail industry so they can come to a settlement with RMT. We will vigorously pursue our industrial campaign until we achieve a deal."

Man left with serious injuries to his face after incident at Essex bar

Romford Train Station cordoned off following fight where man was stabbed - live updates

Ilford Shooting: Two victims killed named as police continue murder investigation

Man in his 70s arrested after young man stabbed on Basildon bus

The Twisted Cork wine bar in Kelvedon now open during the day with Instagrammable loaded shakes

• Stansted Airport
• Traffic and Travel
• Most Recent

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

This UK airport serves the cheapest pints — but a beer will still cost you £6.06

Share this with

Ah the pre-flight pint .

Whether it’s 6am or 6pm, time doesn’t exist once you get through those security gates. The airport beer is a sacred ritual among us Brits – but it’ll cost you.

Pubs and bars in departure lounges just love hiking up those prices, meaning you’ve spent half of your holiday budget before you’ve even boarded the plane.

So if you’re currently searching for flights for that all-important summer getaway , you might want to factor in the cost of your airport pint – and luckily, new research has worked out the UK’s cheapest.

The UK’s cheapest airport beer can be found in Scotland, at Glasgow International Airport , where the average price is £6.06. Yes, that’s still enough to make your wallet groan – but considering how pricey airports can be, it’s not too bad.

The airport is also home to the UK’s cheapest drink at any airport bar, with a pint at Tennent’s Pier Bar, located near Gate 29, costing just £4.79.

And, drinkers are having a lovely time with their pints too, as the airport was found to have the best atmosphere too.

If you’re planning on starting you’re holiday at an English airport, then you’re in luck, as the second cheapest pint can be found at Manchester airport, with an average pre-flight pint coming in at £6.33.

And, in third place was East Midlands International, in Leicestershire, where the average price is £6.44.

It’s perhaps no surprise that the most expensive pints are served at London airports.

The cheapest airport pints, ranked

• Glasgow International, £6.06
• Manchester, £6.33
• East Midlands International, £6.44
• London Stansted, £6.60
• Edinburgh, £6.61
• London Gatwick, £6.65
• Bristol, £6.67
• Belfast International, £6.71
• Birmingham, £6.78
• Liverpool John Lennon, £6.84
• Leeds Bradford, £6.94
• Newcastle International, £6.96
• London City, £6.98
• Heathrow, £7.14
• London Luton, £7.36

London Luton airport was pouring out the most expensive beers, at £7.36 each. A pint at Heathrow will set you back £7.14 and London City is charging you £6.98. Gatwick was a little cheaper at £6.65.

The study, conducted by Velloy for its ‘Pints and Prosecco Index’, also looked at the cheapest airports to enjoy a glass of fizz.

This time it was reliable East Midlands that came out on top, with a glass costing £8.33 on average.

Your Weekly Horoscope

What does the week have in store? Your tarot horoscope reading for April 8 to April 14

On the other end of the scale, the most expensive glass can be find at the Bottega Prosecco Bar at London Stanstead, which costs a whopping £14.99.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected] .

MORE : My partner told me I’d never see her or my son again unless I followed her one instruction

MORE : I had the worst hangover of my life in Amsterdam — here’s how I cured it

MORE : Tomato liqueur? We taste test the latest drinks trend so you don’t have to

Get need-to-know travel news, inspiration and advice from Metro every week.

Sign up here....

Privacy Policy

To the lady in the orange-yellow coat on the Victoria line from Oxford…

To the gorgeous girl in a cowboy hat and blue cowboy boots, with wavy…

Enter your birthday for your free daily horoscope sent straight to your inbox!

Get us in your feed