DEVELOPMENT CONTROL AND REGULATION COMMITTEE 9 October 2020 A report by the Executive Director for Economy and Infrastructure _____________________________________________________________________ PLANNING APPLICATION REFERENCE NO. 1/19/9012 Planning Application Type: Full Planning Permission Applicant: Cumbria County Council Proposal: Creation of Carlisle Southern Link Road (CSLR). Comprising of the construction of 8.1km of new two way single carriageway road (with 2.2km of climbing lanes) that incorporates 3 new road bridges; a combined cycleway/footway on the northern side of the road with 4x shared-use overbridges; 7x new or modified road junctions; 2x overbridges; an underpass; related links and modifications to existing highway, cycleway, footpaths and agricultural access tracks; plus creation of drainage infrastructure (including balancing ponds), landscaping and lighting; and associated engineering and ancillary operations (including the associated demolition of 2 dwelling houses - Station House and Newbiggin View). Location: Corridor of land between Junction 42 of the M6 and the Newby West roundabout (junction of the A595 and A689 CNDR) to the south of Brisco, Durdar and Cummersdale villages, Carlisle. Date Valid: 14 October 2019 Reasons for Committee Level Decision: EIA Application made by the Executive Director for Economy and Infrastructure with objections received from representees. _____________________________________________________________________ REPORT STRUCTURE Due to the nature of this application as a major development crossing a geographically large corridor of land; this report follows a slightly different format and structure from previous reports. In this case much of the background detail regarding the application proposal, consultee responses and public representations are contained in appendices, with the body of the report focussing primarily on the assessment of the planning issues raised by the proposed scheme. The report comprises the following sections and appendices:- Section 1 - Recommendation (See also Appendix 6) Section 2 - Summary Overview of the Proposed Development (See also Appendices 1 & 2) Section 3 - Site Description and Key Context Section 4 - Site Planning History Section 5 - Summary Overview of Consultation Responses (See also Appendix 3) Section 6 - Summary Overview of Public Representations (See also Appendix 4) Section 7 - Planning Policy (See also Appendix 5) Section 8 - Planning Assessment Key Planning Issues - Need and Principle - Highways Considerations - Landscape and Visual Impact - Flood Risk - Land Use Change – Impact on Agricultural - Ecological Impacts – Nature Conservation & Biodiversity Enhancement - Residential Amenity (including Air Quality, Noise and Light Pollution) - Socio-Economic Impact Other Material Planning Considerations - Allocated Sites - Carbon Emissions and Climate Change - Contaminated Land and Made Ground - Crime Prevention - Dark Skies - Heritage Assets - Inclusive Access - Public Health - Public Rights of Way and National Cycle Network Routes - Recreational Implications - St Cuthberts’ Garden Village Fit - Soils - Water Environment / Water Quality - Cumulative and In-combination Effects - Human Rights Other Matters - Alternatives - Pre-Application Consultation - Clarity of Application Section 9 - Conclusion Appendix 1 - Key Overview Plans of the Development Proposal and its Context Appendix 2 - Detailed Written Description of the Proposed Development Appendix 3 - Detailed Summary of Consultation Responses Appendix 4 - Detailed Summary of Public Representations Appendix 5 - List of Policies Relevant to the Consideration of the Application Appendix 6 - Proposed Planning Conditions 1.0 RECOMMENDATION 1.1 That having first taken into consideration the environmental information, as defined in the Town & Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017, submitted in connection with the planning application, that Planning Permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in Appendix 6 to this report. 2.0 SUMMARY OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSAL 2.1 Planning permission is sought to construct the Carlisle Southern Link Road (CSLR) - a proposal for new highway infrastructure on a corridor of land to the south of Carlisle between Junction 42 of the M6 Motorway and the Newby West roundabout (which is the junction of the A595 Wigton Road and the A689 Carlisle Northern Development Route (CNDR)). The proposed scheme seeks to: a) support the delivery of St Cuthbert’s Garden Village (SCGV) – a major mixed- use development proposal which seeks to create up to 10,000 new homes to the south of Carlisle; b) improve access to West Cumbria by providing a modern east-west highway link from the M6 south of Carlisle to the A595. The A595 is a key primary route whose northern reaches serves the principle/key settlements of Cockermouth, Wigton, Whitehaven and Workington and crucial infrastructure hubs such as the large multi-functional nuclear site of Sellafield and Port Workington. c) complete a full and modern ring road around the outskirts of Carlisle (in conjunction with the A689 CNDR and the M6) so as to improve road transport network resilience in and around Carlisle and to reduce congestion in the city centre and on key southern arterial routes into the city such as the A6 (London Road) and A595 (Wigton Road). 2.2 The proposed east-west CSLR route runs to the south of Brisco, Durdar and Cummersdale villages and includes new bridges over two main railway lines and the rivers Caldew and Petteril. It includes new junctions linking existing radial routes into Carlisle and the proposed SCGV. A network of footways and cycleways and an extensive programme of landscaping and environmental mitigation are proposed as part of the development. 2.3 The scheme would comprise the construction of an 8.1km (5 miles) length of new road. The road is predominantly designed as a single lane carriageway for each direction of traffic; however, it is also proposed to construct 2.2km (1.4 miles) of climbing lanes and provide differential acceleration lanes (DALS) to the entrances and exits of principal roads at roundabouts. This east-west link road route would involve the construction of 3 new road bridges, 4 new roundabouts and modification to the existing Newby West Roundabout and M6 Northbound slip road exit. It is proposed to provide a combined cycleway/footway on the northern side of the link road and to construct 4 shared-use overbridges in connection with this. A road bridge over the CSLR is proposed on a modified alignment of Durdar Road; and an accommodation overbridge to maintain agricultural access and a public right of way is proposed near Peastree. Underpasses are proposed to be created below the bridges to the rivers Petteril and Caldew. It is also proposed to create related links and modifications to the existing highway, cycleways, footpaths and agricultural access tracks. The most notable of these is a new road spur into Durdar just south of Carlisle Racecourse. A number of cuttings and embankments would be created to accommodate the new and modified roads. The scheme would also involve the associated formation of new drainage infrastructure (including balancing ponds), creation of new landscaping, installation of lighting and miscellaneous associated engineering works and ancillary operations (including the diversions of utilities). In addition, the proposal includes the demolition of two residential properties (including their outbuildings) so as to cost-effectively facilitate the scheme. 2.4 Plans providing a broad overview of the proposed scheme can be found within Appendix 1 of this report. 2.5 A more detailed written description of the constituent elements of the scheme is provided within Appendix 2 of this report. 2.6 The submitted application documents, plans and Environmental Statement (submitted in line with the requirements of the Town & Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017)) can also be viewed online at: https://planning.cumbria.gov.uk/Planning/Display/1/19/9012 or in person at Carlisle Civic Centre, Cumbria House on Botchergate in Carlisle or County Hall in Kendal. N.B. Within this report the proposed development is referred to interchangeably as either the “CSLR”, “the scheme” or “the project” 3.0 SITE DESCRIPTION AND KEY CONTEXT 3.1 The project would take place on land to the south of Carlisle, between Junction 42 of the M6 Motorway and the A595 (at its junction with the A689). The route of the proposed east-west link road is primarily within agricultural land and crosses several minor roads, two railway lines (West Coast Mainline and the Cumbria Coast Line) and three designated main rivers (the Petteril, the Caldew and Fairy Beck). It would also cross some small areas of woodland cutting through a mixed coniferous and native broadleaved woodland south of Peter Lane and some small areas of broadleaved semi-natural woodland either side of Newbiggin Road in close proximity to Junction 42 of the M6. 3.2 The route corridor of the scheme is characterised by generally flat topography with slightly more gently undulating characteristics around the river valleys. In broad terms, the topography varies from approximately 45mAOD at the western end of the scheme, increasing gradually in elevation to approximately 70mAOD west and south of Durdar at the centre of the route, to 55m AOD at its eastern end where it meets the M6. There are low points at the River Caldew (passing through the area at 25-30m AOD) and River