Safe roads, reliable journeys, informed travellers A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme TR010018 5.1 Consultation Report APFP Regulation 5(2)(q) Revision 0 December 2014 Planning Act 2008 Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 5.0 Volume An executive agency of the Department for Transport A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme Consultation Report Date: December 2014 A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme Consultation Report Contents Foreword 1 Executive summary 3 Introduction 3 Approach to statutory pre-application consultation 4 Consultation outcomes 5 What happens next 7 Conclusion 9 1 Introduction 11 1.1 Purpose of this report 11 1.2 The scheme 11 1.3 Structure of this Consultation Report 11 2 The scheme 13 2.1 Overview 13 2.2 Strategic context 13 2.3 Need for the scheme 14 2.4 Objectives of the scheme 15 2.5 Evolution of the scheme 15 2.6 Recent development in the scheme proposals 16 2.7 The scheme 21 3 The consultation methodology 25 3.1 Purpose of this chapter 25 3.2 Overview of approach 26 3.3 Notifying the Secretary of State 26 3.4 Duty to consult local community 27 3.5 Prescribed consultees, section 42(1)(a) 33 3.6 Local authorities, section 42(1)(b) 33 3.7 Land interests, section 42(1)(d) 35 3.8 Section 48 publicity 36 3.9 Non-statutory design change consultation and engagement 37 3.10 Non-statutory informal engagement 38 3.11 Having regard to consultation responses 41 4 Overview of responses 46 4.1 Introduction 46 4.2 Statutory consultation 46 5.1 December 2014 i A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme Consultation Report 4.3 Non-statutory design change consultation and engagement 67 4.4 Ongoing non-statutory engagement 68 5 The need for improvements to the A14 and the options considered 69 5.1 Overview 69 5.2 Consultation responses received to Q1a and Q1b 69 5.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 72 5.4 Analysis of written responses to Q1b 73 5.5 Consultation responses received to Q1c and Q1d 92 5.6 Level of agreement with the proposals 94 5.7 Analysis of written responses to Q1d 95 5.8 Summary of changes made to proposals 109 6 Scheme impacts 110 6.1 Overview 110 6.2 Consultation responses received to Q2a and Q2b 110 6.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 112 6.4 Analysis of written responses to Q2a and Q2b 113 6.5 Consultation responses received to Q2c 146 6.6 Analysis of written responses to Q2c 147 6.7 Summary of changes made to proposals 171 7 Widening of the A1 between Brampton Hut and Alconbury 172 7.1 Overview 172 7.2 Consultation responses received 172 7.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 174 7.4 Analysis of written responses 175 7.5 Summary of changes made to proposals 184 8 Proposed layout of the A1 and A14 adjacent to Brampton 185 8.1 Overview 185 8.2 Consultation responses received 185 8.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 188 8.4 Analysis of written responses 189 8.5 Summary of changes made to proposals 203 9 New Huntingdon Southern Bypass 205 9.1 Overview 205 9.2 Consultation responses received 205 9.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 207 9.4 Analysis of written responses 208 9.5 Summary of changes made to proposals 251 5.1 December 2014 ii A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme Consultation Report 10 Widening of existing A14 between Swavesey and Girton 253 10.1 Overview 253 10.2 Consultation responses received 253 10.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 255 10.4 Analysis of written responses 256 10.5 Summary of changes made to proposals 273 11 Widening of existing Cambridge Northern Bypass between Histon and Milton 275 11.1 Overview 275 11.2 Consultation responses received 275 11.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 277 11.4 Analysis of written responses 278 11.5 Summary of changes made to proposals 297 12 New local access road between Fen Drayton and Girton 298 12.1 Overview 298 12.2 Consultation responses received 298 12.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 300 12.4 Analysis of written responses 301 12.5 Summary of changes made to proposals 321 13 Swavesey junction improvements 322 13.1 Overview 322 13.2 Consultation responses received 322 13.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 324 13.4 Analysis of written responses 325 13.5 Summary of changes made to proposals 334 14 Bar Hill junction improvements 335 14.1 Overview 335 14.2 Consultation responses received 335 14.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 337 14.4 Analysis of written responses 338 14.5 Summary of changes made to proposals 348 15 Girton junction improvements 350 15.1 Overview 350 15.2 Consultation responses received 350 15.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 352 15.4 Analysis of written responses 353 15.5 Summary of changes made to proposals 370 5.1 December 2014 iii A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme Consultation Report 16 Junctions general 372 16.1 Overview 372 16.2 Consultation responses received 372 16.3 Analysis of written responses 373 16.4 Summary of changes made to proposals 389 17 Demolition of existing A14 viaduct, and related changes to local roads, in Huntingdon 391 17.1 Overview 391 17.2 Consultation responses received 391 17.3 Level of agreement with the proposals 393 17.4 Analysis of written responses 394 17.5 Summary of changes made to the proposals 412 18 Other comments 413 18.1 Overview 413 18.2 Summary of changes made to proposals 435 19 Additional land interest consultation 436 19.1 Introduction 436 19.2 Identification of additional land interest consultees 436 19.3 Consultation with additional land interest consultees 437 19.4 Consultation responses received 438 19.5 Overview of responses 439 20 Non-statutory design change consultation and engagement 462 20.1 Introduction 462 20.2 Consultation responses received 465 20.3 River Great Ouse crossing design change 484 Glossary 486 Bibliography 491 Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F 5.1 December 2014 iv A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme Consultation Report Foreword The Highways Agency has undertaken an on-going programme of consultation with the local community and wider stakeholders and has considered the feedback received in the development of the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme (“the scheme”). The Highways Agency fully recognises the benefits of pre-application consultation. Pre-application consultation is a statutory requirement for Development Consent Order (DCO) applications under the Planning Act 2008 , whilst associated guidance also promotes additional informal non-statutory engagement. Pre-application consultation has helped shape the scheme so that it better addresses the needs of stakeholders, affected parties and the wider public whilst achieving the scheme’s objectives. Consultation and engagement has also helped to increase awareness and understanding by the public. As a result of pre- application consultation important issues have been considered and addressed, where appropriate to do so, in advance of the submission of the DCO application to the Secretary of State (SoS). From 7 April to 15 June 2014, the Highways Agency held a statutory period of pre- application consultation on the scheme, following an earlier non-statutory route options consultation carried out in autumn 2013. There was also further statutory consultation after June 2014 as additional land interests were identified. In addition, a programme of non-statutory consultation and engagement activities has also taken place. This Consultation Report is submitted alongside the DCO application in accordance with section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 . It details how the Highways Agency has complied with the pre-application consultation requirements set out in the Planning Act 2008 , secondary legislation and associated guidance. It provides a full account of the Highways Agency’s approach to consultation and the feedback received, and demonstrates how the Highways Agency has taken that feedback into account. It is supported by the Consultation Report Appendices (document reference 5.2). The report details consultation responses by reference to each element of the scheme and by key topics raised, such as environment and traffic. It also reports feedback by consultee strand, in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008 . This includes local communities and key stakeholders (section 47), local authorities (section 42(1)(b)), prescribed consultees (section 42(1)(a)) and consultees with an interest in the land (section 42(1)(d)). Figure F.1 below provides a graphical representation of the consultation process. 5.1 December 2014 1 A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme Consultation Report Figure F.1: The consultation process 5.1 December 2014 2 A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme Consultation Report Executive summary Introduction The Highways Agency is proposing a scheme for the improvement and upgrade of a 30 km (19 mile) length of the strategic highway between Cambridge and Huntingdon, the widening of a 5.6 km (3.5 mile) section of the A1 between Brampton and Alconbury, and the modification and improvement of the associated local road network in the A14 corridor. These improvements are referred to as the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme (the scheme). The scheme objectives are to: • combat congestion: making the route between Huntingdon and Cambridge more reliable and providing capacity for future traffic growth; • unlock growth: enabling major residential and commercial developments to proceed, leading to increased economic growth, regionally and nationally; • connect people: by placing the right traffic on the right roads and freeing up local capacity for all types of road user, including pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians; • improve safety: designing the proposed scheme to modern highway standards, introducing better lane control, and providing adequate capacity for predicted traffic levels; and • create a positive legacy: recognising the wider benefits of the road improvement scheme for local communities and businesses.