A45 Development Link Road - Statement of Community Involvement

November 2014

A45 Daventry Development Link Road Submission on behalf of County Council (NCC) Town and Country Planning Act 1990

QM

Issue/revision Issue 1 Revision 1 Revision 2 Revision 3 Remarks Draft Final Date November 2014 November 2014 Prepared by Lee Kirby Lee Kirby Signature Checked by Adrian Hames Adrian Hames Signature Authorised by Adrian Hames Adrian Hames Signature Project number 70005677 70005677 File reference

MGWSP Northamptonshire Highways Depot, Harborough Road, Northamptonshire, NN6 9BX DDI: +44(0)1604 883415 Web: www.mgwsp.co.uk

Author: Lee Kirby

May Gurney Ltd, Registered Office: Holland Court, The Close, Norwich, NR1 4DY Registered Number 00873179

WSP Management Services Limited Registered Office: WSP House, 70 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1AF Registered Number 02454665 England

Contents

1 Introduction 4 1.1 BACKGROUND 4 1.2 DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCHEME 4 2 Public Consultation 6 2.1 PUBLIC EXHIBITION EVENTS 6 3 Stakeholder Consultation 16 3.1 STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS 16 4 Conclusion 20 4.1 OVERVIEW 20 Appendix A – Route Options 22 Appendix B – Public Exhibition Leaflet and Questionnaire 23

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 3

[

1 Introduction

1.1 BACKGROUND

1.1.1 Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) has instructed MGWSP to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement for the A45 Daventry Development Link Road or New Link Road, in Northamptonshire, to accompany a full planning application to be submitted in November 2014.

1.1.2 The involvement of the community has been, and continues to be, an integral part of the development work associated with the scheme, and throughout the process of moving the scheme forward. NCC has consistently sought to ensure endorsement and consensus at all stages from a wide range of stakeholders and interested parties.

1.1.3 Engaging the community has been a crucial element in gaining acceptance and ‘buy-in’ of the road proposal, and an interactive approach with directly affected land owners, key statutory bodies, local councils, and the general public continues to take place, and has greatly assisted in the advancement of the scheme, as concerns raised by the key stakeholders and interested parties are acted upon, as far as practically possible, and amendments incorporated which has led to evolution of a scheme with strong on-going support.

1.1.4 The New Link Road is a scheme that has been developed in recent years by NCC. It will improve transport links between the towns of Northampton and Daventry, and improve access between Daventry and the M1 motorway. The scheme will facilitate and support the growth of development within and relieve the A45 through the villages of Flore and Weedon of through traffic. In Weedon, it will significantly reduce traffic congestion at the existing signalised junction of the A5 with the A45, and reduce the number and severity of road accidents providing a high quality route for through traffic

1.2 DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCHEME

1.2.1 In the early 1990’s as part of their trunk road network the Highways Agency (HA) agreed a preferred route for the A45 Weedon, Flore and Upper Heyford bypass. However, in July 1998 the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions reviewed their trunk road schemes and announced that the A45 Weedon, Flore and Upper Heyford bypass would be withdrawn from the national trunk road programme.

1.2.2 In 2001, NCC appraised six major road schemes in Northamptonshire including the A45 Weedon, Flore and Upper Heyford bypass. The outcome was the County Council agreed that no scheme be submitted to the Government Office for the as part of the Local Transport Plan in 2001, but that work should be carried out to develop other schemes.

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement

1.2.3 The HA detrunked this section of the A45 in July 2001, and their trunk road schemes, including the A45 Weedon, Flore and Upper Heyford bypass, were handed over to NCC.

1.2.4 In June 2002 the County Council decided to continue to protect the HA former A45 trunk road bypass scheme to the north of Weedon and Flore. There was at this time strong local support for a northern route and this route is protected as NCC’s Preferred Route.

1.2.5 NCC’s Northamptonshire Arc is a locally developed spatial concept covering the whole county and it represents an integrated approach to economic development, the environment and connectivity. The main arteries for economic growth in the County are formed by strategic road connections including the proposed A45 Daventry Development Link scheme. It recognised that the Link is crucial for future development at Daventry and the wider area up to and beyond the current Core Spatial Strategy timeframe of 2026.

1.2.6 It is also acknowledged that this scheme is important to the competitiveness of Daventry for attracting inward investment. Therefore, in 2009 and 2010 a full appraisal of alternative transport solutions for the corridor between Northampton and Daventry was undertaken which considered many forms of infrastructure improvements. This appraisal was used to inform a series of Stakeholder Meetings held with the County, District and Parish Councillors within the study area, and re-confirmed the strong preference for a northern bypass solution on the corridor between Northampton and Daventry.

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 5

2 Public Consultation

2.1 PUBLIC EXHIBITION EVENTS

2.1.1 After a number of previous attempts to promote an A45 bypass for the communities of Weedon, Flore and Upper Heyford over ten years, NCC resolved to progress the scheme more vigorously from 2012, and as an initial stage of community involvement, sought to confirm the consensus reached at previous consultation exercises whereby a route bypassing all three communities to the north had consistently been shown to have the strongest support from the local population.

2.1.2 This exercise was deemed to be important in re-establishing a baseline position from which to promote a scheme, conscious that several years had elapsed since the bypass was previously consulted upon and circumstances and priorities may have changed. A full and comprehensive public consultation process was undertaken during the summer of 2012. As part of this public consultation three public exhibition events were held in July 2012 at a number of locations in the vicinity of the scheme study area as summarised below: Ŷ Flore, Millennium Hall, High Street – Thursday 12th July 2012, 14:30 – 18:30; Ŷ Weedon, Village Hall, West Street, Friday 13th July 2012, 13:00 – 21:00; Ŷ Daventry, The Abbey Centre, Market Square, Saturday 14th July 2012, 10:00 – 14:00

2.1.3 The purpose of these three public exhibition events was to seek views of the public on the traffic problems along the A45 corridor between Northampton and Daventry, and to exhibit a number of route options. A map showing the route options is included in Appendix A, and these are described as follows: Ŷ Northern Route Option A (Red Route) – at an estimated cost of £40-45 million the proposed 5.9km long single carriageway runs west from M1 junction 16 passing to the north of Upper Heyford, Flore and rejoining the existing A45 east of Dodford. With a design speed 70mph this route would be suitable for converting to a dual-carriageway in the future. Approximately 50% of this route would be on embankment and 5% would be in the flood plain; Ŷ Northern Route Option B (Blue Route) – at an estimated cost of £30-35 million the proposed 4.1km long single carriageway runs west from M1 junction 16 passing to north of Upper Heyford then rejoins the existing A45 before passing to the north of Flore and Weedon Bec, rejoining the A45 east of Dodford. With a design speed of 50mph this route would not be suitable for converting to a dual- carriageway in the future. Approximately 35% of this route would be on embankment and 5% would be in the flood plain;

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement

Ŷ Central Route (Pink Route) – at an estimated cost of £50-55 million the proposed 4.8km long single carriageway runs west from M1 junction 16 passing to the north of Upper Heyford, south of Flore and then north of Weedon Bec rejoining the existing A45 east of Dodford. With a design speed of 70mph this route would be suitable for converting to a dual-carriageway in the future. Approximately 90% of this route would be on embankment and 40% would be in the flood plain; and Ŷ Southern Route (Green Route) – at an estimated cost of £45-50 million the proposed 7.6km long single carriageway runs west from the M1 junction 16 passing between Upper and , south of Flore and Weedon Bec rejoining the existing A45 west of Dodford. With a design speed of 70mph this route would be suitable for converting to a dual carriageway in the future. Approximately 85% would be on embankment and 15% would be in the flood plan.

2.1.4 Prior to the three public exhibition events leaflets, which included a questionnaire, were delivered to houses and shops within the scheme study area. The details of the public exhibitions were also advertised in local newspapers and parish newsletters, as well as being included in letters to Councillors in the scheme study area. Information and an online questionnaire were also included on NCC’s website.

2.1.5 The three public exhibition events were well attended with a total of approximately 335 people attending over the three events, with 129 at Flore, 172 at Weedon, and 34 at Daventry. The closing date for consultation responses was Friday 17th August 2012, and a total of 1,008 responses were received including 897 responses via email and post, as well as 111 through the online survey. The consultation leaflet and questionnaire is included in Appendix B.

2.1.6 The results that were obtained from the consultation responses and the feedback from the three public exhibitions were then collated and analysed, and the results obtained from the responses to the questions in the questionnaire are summarised below.

Question 1 – Do you agree there is a traffic problem on the A45 at Weedon and Flore? The responses obtained are shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1 – Responses obtained to Question 1

Response Number of Responses Percentage of Responses Yes 848 84% No 130 13% Do not know 30 3% Total 1008 100%

2.1.7 It can be seen from the above results that 848 (84%) of the respondents feel there is a traffic problem on the A45 at Weedon and Flore, that 130 (13%) of the respondents feel that there is not a problem, and that 30 (3%) of the respondents stated that they did not know if there is a traffic problem on the A45 at Weedon and Flore.

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 7

Question 2 – Do you agree there is a traffic problem on the A45 at Upper Heyford? The responses obtained are shown in Table 2 below.

Table 2 – Responses obtained to Question 2

Response Number of Responses Percentage of Responses Yes 690 69% No 214 21% Do not know 104 10% Total 1008 100%

2.1.8 In total, 690 (69%) of the respondents feel that there is a traffic problem on the A45 at Upper Heyford, 214 (21%) of the respondents feel that there is not a problem, and 104 (10%) of the respondents stated that they did not know if there is a traffic problem on the A45 at Upper Heyford.

Question 3 – Do you support the idea of a bypass to solve the problem? The responses obtained are shown in Table 3 below.

Table 3 – Reponses obtained to Question 3

Response Number of Responses Percentage of Responses Yes 837 83% No 135 13% Do not know 36 4% Total 1008 100%

2.1.9 It can be seen from the above results that 837 (83%) of the respondents support the idea of a bypass to solve the problem, that 135 (13%) of the respondents do not support the idea of a bypass to solve the problem, and that 36 (4%) of the respondents do not know if they support the idea of a bypass to solve the problem.

Question 4 – If a bypass is built, which route do you prefer? The responses obtained are shown in Table 4 below.

Table 4 – Responses obtained to Question 4

Response Number of Responses Percentage of Responses Northern Route 846 84% Central Route 30 3% Southern Route 77 8% Do not know 55 5% Total 1008 100%

2.1.10 In total, 846 (84%) of the respondents would prefer the Northern Route if a bypass is built, 30 (3%) would prefer the Central Route if a bypass is built, 77 (8%)

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement

would prefer the Southern Route if a bypass is built, and 55 (5%) do not know what they would prefer if a bypass is built.

Question 5 – If you support the Northern Route, which option do you prefer? The responses obtained are shown in Table 5 below.

Table 5 – Responses obtained to Question 5

Response Number of Responses Percentage of Responses Northern Route Option A 695 69% Northern Route Option B 131 13% Do not know 63 6% Do not support Northern Route 119 12% Total 1008 100%

2.1.11 It can be seen from the above results that 695 (69%) of respondents prefer Northern Route Option A, that 131 (13%) prefer the Northern Route Option B, that 63 (6%) do not know which option they prefer, and that 119 (12%) do not support the Northern Route.

2.1.12 The majority of the consultation responses supported the Northern Route Option A (Red Route). This was principally because the Northern Route Option A is located further away from Flore and lends itself to the possibility of being upgraded to a dual carriageway in the future if necessary. In addition, the engineering justifications for the Northern Route Option A include a greater use of the existing M1 transport corridor and an increased level of through traffic attracted away from the villages.

Question 6a – What do you like / dislike about the Northern Route Option B bypass at the Dodford section? The responses obtained are shown in Table 6a below.

Table 6a – Responses to Question 6a

Response Questionnaires Online surveys Total Percentage No comment 499 97 596 59.1% Like – No comments 74 0 74 7.3% Dislike – No comments 14 0 14 1.4% Total 587 97 684 67.8%

2.1.13 Apart from those respondents that did not comment, the majority of respondents expressed the following views about the Dodford section of the Northern Route Option B bypass: Ŷ 5.1% disliked that it adds traffic to / does not bypass Dodford; Ŷ 4.7% disliked that it is too close to Dodford; and Ŷ 3.7% disliked more visual / environmental / noise / light impact

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 9

2.1.14 Looking at the questionnaire responses in relation to the Dodford section of the bypass in more detail by location of respondent, the main concerns are as follows: Ŷ For Weedon residents (including Weedon / Weedon Bec / Upper Weedon): Ŷ 9.1% of all respondents from Weedon liked this section; Ŷ 6.8% disliked that it’s single carriageway and cannot be dualled; and Ŷ 2.9% disliked that it adds traffic to / doesn’t bypass Dodford Ŷ For Flore residents: Ŷ 9.8% of all respondents from Flore liked this section; Ŷ 4.2% disliked that it’s single carriageway and cannot be dualled; and Ŷ 4.2% disliked that it adds traffic to / doesn’t bypass Dodford Ŷ For Heyford (including Heyford / Upper Heyford / Nether Heyford) residents; Ŷ 6.3% of all respondents from Heyford liked this section; Ŷ 4.3% disliked the use of a roundabout as it causes congestion and accidents; and Ŷ 2.3% disliked that it adds traffic to / doesn’t bypass Dodford Ŷ For Dodford residents: Ŷ 25% of all respondents from Dodford disliked that it adds traffic to/ doesn’t bypass Dodford; Ŷ 16.7% disliked the access to / from Dodford; and Ŷ 15.5% disliked the 50mph speed limit

Question 6b – What do you like / dislike about the Northern Route Option B bypass at the Weedon section? The responses obtained are shown in Table 6b below.

Table 6b – Responses to Question 6b

Response Questionnaires Online surveys Total Percentage No comment 576 103 679 67.4% Like – No comments 66 0 66 6.5% Dislike – No comments 14 0 14 1.4% Total 656 103 759 75.3%

2.1.15 Apart from those respondents that did not comment, the majority of respondents expressed the following views about the Weedon section of the Northern Route Option B bypass: Ŷ 3.8% liked that it takes traffic away from the villages; Ŷ 3.0% disliked that it’s single carriageway (and cannot be dualled); and Ŷ 2.1% disliked roundabout (causes congestion and accidents)

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement

2.1.16 Looking at the questionnaire responses in relation to the Weedon section of the bypass in more detail by location of respondent, the main concerns are as follows: Ŷ For Weedon residents (including Weedon / Weedon Bec / Upper Weedon): Ŷ 7.4% of all respondents from Weedon liked this section; Ŷ 5.5% liked that it takes traffic away from the villages; and Ŷ 4.9% disliked that it’s single carriageway and cannot be dualled Ŷ For Flore residents: Ŷ 9.8% of all respondents from Flore liked this section; Ŷ 2.8% liked that it takes traffic away from the villages; and Ŷ 0.9% disliked the use of a roundabout as it causes congestion and accidents Ŷ For Heyford (including Heyford / Upper Heyford / Nether Heyford) residents: Ŷ 5.5% of all respondents from Heyford liked this section; Ŷ 5.1% liked that it takes traffic away from the villages; and Ŷ 3.9% disliked the use of a roundabout as it causes congestion and accidents Ŷ For Dodford residents: Ŷ 17.1% of all respondents from Dodford felt that this section does not cause issues for Weedon; Ŷ 17.1% disliked the high visual / environmental / noise / light impact; and Ŷ 8.6% disliked the 50mph speed limit

Question 6c – What do you like / dislike about the Northern Route Option B bypass at the A5 junction? The responses obtained are shown in Table 6c below.

Table 6c – Responses to Question 6c

Response Questionnaires Online surveys Total Percentage No comment 735 109 844 83.7% Like – No comments 50 0 50 5.0% Dislike – No comments 15 0 15 1.5% Total 800 109 909 90.2%

2.1.17 Apart from those respondents that did not comment, the majority of respondents expressed the following views about the A5 junction of the Northern Route Option B bypass: Ŷ 2.1% disliked a roundabout for the A5 junction as it causes congestion and accidents; Ŷ 2.0% liked that it bypasses the A45/A5 Weedon crossroads; and Ŷ 1.9% stated that the A5 junction should be a flyover

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 11

2.1.18 Looking at the questionnaire responses in relation to the A5 junction of the bypass in more detail by location of respondent, the main concerns are as follows: Ŷ For Weedon residents (including Weedon / Weedon Bec / Upper Weedon): Ŷ 5.2% of all respondents from Weedon liked this junction; Ŷ 1.9% disliked a roundabout for the A5 junction as it causes congestion and accidents; and Ŷ 1.3% felt that the A5 junction should be a flyover Ŷ For Flore residents: Ŷ 7.0% of all respondents from Flore liked this junction; Ŷ 3.3% disliked the visual / environmental / noise impact of this junction; and Ŷ 1.9% felt that the A5 junction should be a flyover Ŷ For Heyford (including Heyford / Upper Heyford / Nether Heyford) residents: Ŷ 6.3% of all respondents from Heyford liked this junction; Ŷ 4.3% disliked a roundabout for the A5 junction as it causes congestion and accidents; and Ŷ 2.0% disliked this junction Ŷ For Dodford residents: Ŷ 25.7% of all respondents from Dodford felt that the A5 junction should be a flyover; and Ŷ 2.9% disliked this junction

Question 6d – What do you like / dislike about the Northern Route Option B bypass at the Flore section? The responses obtained are shown in Table 6d below.

Table 6d – Responses to Question 6d

Response Questionnaires Online surveys Total Percentage No comment 380 96 476 47.2% Like – No comments 27 0 27 2.7% Dislike – No comments 25 0 25 2.5% Total 432 96 528 52.4%

2.1.19 Apart from those respondents that did not comment, the majority of respondents expressed the following views about the Flore section of the Northern Route Option B bypass: Ŷ 5.9% disliked the use of a roundabout as it causes congestion and accidents; Ŷ 5.6% disliked that it does not encourage traffic away from Flore; and Ŷ 4.0% like that it takes traffic away from villages

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement

2.1.20 Looking at the questionnaire responses in relation to the Flore section of the bypass in more detail by location of respondent, the main concerns are as follows: Ŷ For Weedon residents (including Weedon / Weedon Bec / Upper Weedon): Ŷ 6.5% of all respondents from Weedon disliked that the section is too close to Flore; Ŷ 5.2% liked that it takes traffic away from the villages; and Ŷ 4.5% disliked that it doesn’t encourage traffic away from Flore Ŷ For Flore residents: Ŷ 24.2% of all respondents from Flore disliked that the section is too close to Flore; Ŷ 11.2% disliked the use of a roundabout as it causes congestion and accidents; and Ŷ 8.8% disliked that it doesn’t encourage traffic away from Flore Ŷ For Heyford (including Heyford / Upper Heyford / Nether Heyford) residents: Ŷ 7.0% of all respondents from Heyford disliked that this section doesn’t encourage traffic away from Flore; Ŷ 6.3% disliked the use of a roundabout as it causes congestion and accidents; and Ŷ 5.5% liked that it takes traffic away from the villages Ŷ For Dodford residents: Ŷ 25.7% of all respondents from Dodford felt that this section benefits Flore; Ŷ 11.4% disliked the high visual / environmental / noise / light impact; and Ŷ 8.6% disliked the 50mph speed limit

Question 6e – What do you like / dislike about the Northern Route Option B bypass at the Upper Heyford section? The responses obtained are shown in Table 6e.

Table 6e – Responses to Question 6e

Response Questionnaires Online surveys Total Percentage No comment 389 94 483 47.9% Like – No comments 24 1 25 2.5% Dislike – No comments 12 0 12 1.2% Total 425 95 520 51.6%

2.1.21 Apart from those respondents that did not comment, the majority of respondents expressed the following views about the Upper Heyford section of the Northern Route Option B bypass: Ŷ 5.6% feel that it does not solve the traffic problem for this section;

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 13

Ŷ 4.1% liked that it takes traffic away from the villages; and Ŷ 4.1% disliked that it’s single carriageway (and cannot be dualled)

2.1.22 Looking at the questionnaire responses in relation to the Upper Heyford section of the bypass in more detail by location of respondent, the main concerns are as follows: Ŷ For Weedon residents (including Weedon / Weedon Bec / Upper Weedon): Ŷ 6.5% of all respondents from Weedon disliked the use of a roundabout as it causes congestion and accidents; Ŷ 5.2% disliked that its single carriageway (and cannot be dualled); and Ŷ 4.5% felt that it doesn’t solve traffic problem Ŷ For Flore residents: Ŷ 6.0% of all respondents from Flore disliked the use of a roundabout as it causes congestion and accidents; Ŷ 4.2% felt that it doesn’t solve traffic problem; and Ŷ 4.2% disliked that it doesn’t encourage traffic away from Upper Heyford Ŷ For Heyford (including Heyford / Upper Heyford / Nether Heyford) residents: Ŷ 9.4% of all respondents from Heyford felt that it doesn’t solve traffic problem; Ŷ 9.0% disliked the use of a roundabout as it causes congestion and accidents; and Ŷ 5.5% disliked that it doesn’t encourage traffic away from Upper Heyford Ŷ For Dodford residents: Ŷ 28.6% of all respondents from Dodford felt that this section does not separate the two Heyfords; Ŷ 25.7% liked that this section takes traffic away from the villages; and Ŷ 11.4% disliked the high visual / environmental / noise / light impact

Question 7 – If you do not support a bypass, what do you think we should do? The majority of respondents that do not support a bypass suggested the following alternative solutions:

Ŷ 4.8% felt the problem is not big enough to justify a bypass and so nothing should be done; Ŷ 1.2% suggested a new junction on the M1; Ŷ 0.9% recommended improvements to the A45 / A5 Weedon crossroads; Ŷ 0.9% proposed speed control through the villages (e.g. speed cameras); Ŷ 0.7% suggested imposing weight / size restrictions; Ŷ 0.3% suggested spending money on improving the current road;

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement

Ŷ 0.3% suggested spending money on improving the public transport links; and Ŷ 0.2% proposed a mini-roundabout at Upper Heyford

Question 8 – Which town / village do you live in? The majority of respondents were from the following locations:

Ŷ 32.9% from Weedon / Weedon Bec / Upper Weedon; Ŷ 25.3% from Nether Heyford; Ŷ 24.6% from Flore; Ŷ 4.2% from Dodford; Ŷ 3.0% from / Stowe / ; Ŷ 1.6% from Upper Heyford; Ŷ 1.3% from Daventry Ŷ 0.8% from Northampton

2.1.23 As can be seen from the results obtained from the public exhibition events that were undertaken there is strong local support for the Northern Bypass Option A which reaffirms NCC’s Preferred Route of June 2002, and it was recommended that the Northern Route Option A be approved as NCC’s Preferred Route for the bypass, and this was officially confirmed by elected members at NCC’s Cabinet meeting held on 15th January 2013.

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 15

3 Stakeholder Consultation

3.1 STAKEHOLDER DISCUSSIONS

3.1.1 Following the decision to approve the Northern Route Option A as the Preferred Route, NCC instructed MGWSP to proceed with moving the Weedon, Flore and Upper Heyford bypass scheme forward, which was subsequently re-named the A45 Northampton to Daventry Development Link Road (and finally A45 Daventry Development Link Road) as a priority infrastructure scheme, and this work commenced in the spring of 2013.

3.1.2 One of the conditions for taking the scheme forward as laid down by the Cabinet meeting on the 15th January 2013 was that a need remained to seek to mitigate the impact of the scheme on Dodford, as the scheme would not bypass the village. This was in response to strong representations from the local community in Dodford both during and after the July 2012 public exhibition events who objected to the actual line of the Preferred Route at the western end near Dodford and the tie-in location with the existing A45.

3.1.3 In response to these local community representations, and recognising the adverse reaction to the proposals which were otherwise strongly supported in the three communities to be bypassed (Weedon, Flore and Upper Heyford), NCC sought to reach a consensus with representatives of the Dodford community, Daventry District Council (DDC), and the local Member of Parliament. The result of this consensus was that an alternative alignment option would be pursued for the extreme western section of the New Link Road and its connection with the existing A45 west of Weedon which would mitigate the environmental impact of the New Link Road on Dodford village whilst specifying a tie-in junction with the existing A45 at a location that would allow any subsequent extension of the New Link Road to bypass Dodford.

3.1.4 The preliminary design process gathered momentum during the spring and summer of 2013, and this involved a high level of community involvement and engagement on a number of different levels. All of the land owners along the proposed route were contacted and meetings arranged with them, and their agents / tenants where relevant, during the summer of 2013 to explain the road proposal to them, indicate how it would be likely to affect their farming, commercial or residential interests on a case-by-case basis, and seek to understand their individual issues and concerns, in order to accommodate them as far as reasonably practicable and thereby reassure them.

3.1.5 This interactive process was universally well-received by land owners, and led to enhanced levels of mutual trust and understanding being established between them and representatives of NCC, resulting in further benefits in terms of enhancing their ‘buy-in’ and endorsement of the scheme. The process has further resulted in a

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement

significant number of changes being made to specific aspects of the proposed road alignment and its detail which have in turn increased acceptance levels on the part of land owners, and in a number of cases turned objection into general support, subject to individual concerns being adequately addressed.

3.1.6 Another important series of consultations has been with key statutory bodies whose interests are affected by the New Link Road, and have included the following: Ŷ Network Rail; Ŷ Canal and River Trust; Ŷ Highways Agency; Ŷ Environment Agency

3.1.7 From the beginning of the summer of 2013 meetings have been held at intervals with these four organisations to understand their specific requirements in the context of the New Link Road and assess the constraints that these place on the alignment possibilities for the route in both horizontal and vertical alignment terms, as well as design specifics.

3.1.8 The input from these key statutory bodies has resulted in several assumptions about the acceptability, practicality and buildability of the New Link Road Preferred Route having to be re-assessed, and as a result changes being made to the design to satisfy their requirements. Some of these changes have been in partial or direct conflict with what certain land owners would ideally wish to see, and so the interactive liaison with land owners has continued throughout the remainder of 2013 and on into 2014, explaining to them what is possible to achieve and what is not, and thereby reaching a compromise with them on some of the more intractable issues without which it would be impossible to secure an acceptable final alignment for the road.

3.1.9 Consultation has also been undertaken with local councils, and has included Parish Councils representing the communities of Weedon, Flore, Upper Heyford and Dodford, and the two local planning authorities whose areas the New Link Road is proposed to pass through, which are Daventry District Council (DDC) and South Northamptonshire Council (SNC).

3.1.10 Meetings have been held with all the Parishes at approximately three-to-six month intervals to inform them of the progress being made on the road scheme, appraise them of any key issues of relevance to their Parish, and listen to their views and concerns regarding both the construction phase and finished scheme as it might be expected to affect their respective communities, and similarly act upon concerns and incorporate these into the proposals wherever possible. Again, this approach has helped to develop trust and mutual understanding.

3.1.11 Throughout the process of scheme development, there has been in-depth liaison and dialogue with those representing environmental, ecological, archaeological and cultural heritage interests, and the input from these disciplines has similarly helped to shape the development of the road alignment in terms of its form and detail, with

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 17

protection and enhancement of important assets incorporated into the design development process.

3.1.12 The result of all the above involvement and consultation with stakeholders at several different levels and covering a wide spectrum of interests culminated in a number of key changes being made to the precise detail of the Preferred Route. The decision to adjust the road alignment at the western A45 tie-in junction to mitigate the impact of the road on Dodford has already been highlighted, but several other changes were necessary to the road, predominantly over its western half, affecting both horizontal and vertical alignment. These changes included the following: Ŷ Rail and canal bridge crossings; Ŷ Interface with the A5 trunk road north of Weedon Ŷ Nature of the River Nene crossing to reduce flooding impact on farmland; Ŷ Provision of an ecological bridge avoiding an important archaeological site; Ŷ Improved local connectivity by means of an additional side road overbridge north of Flore; and Ŷ Improved access arrangement for local businesses at the eastern end roundabout of the route near Upper Heyford

3.1.13 Several of these changes would also benefit affected land owners, and the process of dialogue and refinement has been ongoing throughout the design development process.

3.1.14 The amended alignment is very much in keeping with the Preferred Route in principle, however the nature and extent of the changes were considered sufficient to need to officially approve the amended route, referred to as the new Preferred Route, or Northern Route Option A Revised, and this was officially confirmed by elected members at NCC’s Cabinet meeting on 11th March 2014.

3.1.15 At this meeting it was resolved to adopt the amended route as the Preferred Route, and to progress the scheme through the next stages of development. As part of this development a further interim public consultation exercise was carried out during April 2014, when two public exhibitions were held in Weedon and Flore to update the local populations regarding the amended route. These exhibitions were also well- attended with estimates of over 100 people attending each of the two events, and with further strong support and endorsement of the proposals indicated by the vast majority of those who attended, and understanding of the reasons for the changes. Strong support was also evident from the local Parish Councils, many of whose members also attended the two exhibitions.

3.1.16 Despite the above changes, certain unresolved issues remained which had to be addressed with regard to the western section of the New Link Road between the A5 and A45 west of Weedon, particularly with regard to achieving a route that would be acceptable to all land owners, based on representations received. Further dialogue ensued with affected land owners during summer 2014, as well as Network Rail and

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement

the Canal and River Trust, leading to a further amendment to the horizontal and vertical alignment of the western section of the route. This amendment moved the tie-in location with the A45 further to the east, closer to Weedon, but offering greater benefits in terms of attracting local industrial estate traffic away from Weedon High Street. This route option involved the replacement of discrete bridges crossing the West Coast Main Line railway and Grand Union Canal with a single combined crossing, and addressed the remaining concerns of affected land owners in terms of alignment.

3.1.17 Since this second amendment to the western (A5 to A45 west) section of the Link Road was of considerable significance, further liaison and consultation took place with the two affected Parish Councils most affected by the change – representing Weedon and Dodford – and written letters of support to the change were received from both, in recognition of the need for this subsequent change if the scheme was to be capable of being delivered. In similar vein to the changes approved in March 2014, this latest amendment change was formally approved by NCC’s Cabinet at its meeting on 7th October 2014.

3.1.18 Dialogue has now resumed with affected land owners and their agents / tenants where relevant to discuss specific arrangements in respect of access / accommodation works, landscaping / screening options, and ongoing arrangements for the process for acquisition of land required to construct the A45 Daventry Development Link Road. Reaction and engagement continues to be positive, and further meetings are planned with the key statutory bodies to ensure the detailed proposals are fully endorsed by them also. This work is all in turn helping to inform the Planning Application process.

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 19

4 Conclusion

4.1 OVERVIEW

4.1.1 NCC has instructed MGWSP to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement for the A45 Daventry Development Link Road or New Link Road, in Northamptonshire, in support of a full planning application to be submitted in November 2014.

4.1.2 The involvement of the community has been, and continues to be, an integral part of the development work associated with the scheme, and throughout the process of moving the scheme forward. NCC has consistently sought to ensure endorsement and consensus at all stages from a wide range of stakeholders and interested parties.

4.1.3 After a number of previous attempts to promote an A45 bypass for the communities of Weedon, Flore and Upper Heyford over ten years, NCC resolved to progress the scheme more vigorously from 2012.

4.1.4 A full and comprehensive public consultation process was undertaken during the summer of 2012. As part of this public consultation three public exhibition events were held in July 2012 in Flore, Weedon and Daventry. The purpose of these three public exhibition events was to seek views of the public on the traffic problems along the A45 corridor between Northampton to Daventry, and to exhibit a number of route options as follows: Ŷ Northern Route Option A (Red Route); Ŷ Northern Route Option B (Blue Route); Ŷ Central Route (Pink Route); and Ŷ Southern Route (Green Route)

4.1.5 The three public exhibition events were well attended with a total of approximately 335 people attending over the three events, with 129 at Flore, 172 at Weedon, and 34 at Daventry. A total of 1,008 responses were received including 897 responses via email and post, as well as 111 through the online survey.

4.1.6 The results obtained from the public exhibition events that were undertaken show that there is strong local support for the Northern Bypass Option A which reaffirms NCC’s Preferred Route of June 2002, and it was recommended that the Northern Route Option A be approved as NCC’s Preferred Route for the bypass, and this was officially confirmed by elected members at NCC’s Cabinet meeting held on 15th January 2013.

4.1.7 The preliminary design process gathered momentum during the spring and summer of 2013, and this involved a high level of community involvement and engagement on a number of different levels, including the following:

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement

Ŷ Network Rail; Ŷ Canal and River Trust; Ŷ Highways Agency; Ŷ Environment Agency.

4.1.1 The input from the key statutory bodies above has resulted in several assumptions about the acceptability, practicality and buildability of the New Link Road Preferred Route having to be re-assessed, and as a result changes being made to the design to satisfy their requirements.

4.1.2 In-depth dialogue has continued with all land owners – and where relevant their agents/tenants – directly affected by the scheme, and through an interactive process of addressing issues and concerns as they arise, the route has been amended and refined to ensure its acceptability.

4.1.3 Consultation has also been undertaken with local councils, and has included Parish Councils representing the communities of Weedon, Flore, Upper Heyford and Dodford, and the two local planning authorities whose areas the New Link Road is proposed to pass through, which are Daventry District Council (DDC) and South Northamptonshire Council (SNC).

4.1.4 The result of all the above involvement and consultation with stakeholders at several different levels and covering a wide spectrum of interests culminated in a number of key changes being made to the precise detail of the Preferred Route, which was officially confirmed by elected members at NCC’s Cabinet meeting on 11th March 2014.

4.2 A further interim public consultation exercise was carried out during April 2014, when two public exhibitions were held in Weedon and Flore to update the local populations regarding the amended route. These exhibitions were also well-attended with estimates of over 100 people attending each of the two events, and with further strong support and endorsement of the proposals indicated by the vast majority of those who attended. Strong support was also evident from the local Parish Councils, many of whose members also attended the two exhibitions.

4.3 Further unresolved issues associated with the acceptability (to all affected stakeholders) of the western section of the New Link Road between the A5 and A45 west of Weedon led to this section being amended for a second time, with the full endorsement of the affected land owners, Network Rail, Canal and River Trust and Parish Councils representing Weedon and Dodford. This subsequent amendment was formally approved by NCC’s Cabinet at its meeting on 7th October 2014.

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 21

Appendix A – Route Options

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement

Appendix B – Public Exhibition Leaflet and Questionnaire

A45 Daventry Development Link Road – Statement of Community Involvement 23

6. What do you like/dislike about the How could this be funded? If you would like to receive progress updates Northern Route Option B bypass? please register your email address at info@ A45 a. At the Dodford section The level of development proposed for mgwsp.co.uk. Your data is confidential and will Daventry is insufficient to fund the bypass in only be used for bypass news. total, although a contribution will be expected. Weedon, Flore & b. At the Weedon section Exhibitions Public funding over the next few years is expected to be very constrained, and there are Public exhibitions will be held at the following Upper Heyford c. At the A5 junction likely to be many schemes competing for the locations where staff will be available to same money. discuss the options in more detail. Bypass d. At the Flore section While the Department for Transport proposes • 2:30pm to 6:30pm to delegate decision-making on major transport Thursday 12th July 2012 schemes to local level, we do not know how The Millennium Hall, 56 High St, Flore e. At the Upper Heyford section much funding will be involved. Essentially, the NN7 4LW lower the costs and the better the value for money, the more likely it is that the funding can • 1pm to 9pm be found. Friday 13th July 2012 7. If you do not support a bypass, what The Village Hall, West St, Weedon Bec do you think we should do? What happens next? NN7 4QU

The County Council’s Cabinet will be • 10am to 2pm

responsible for deciding what happens based Saturday 14th July 2012

on the consultation results. The Abbey, Market Square, Daventry NN11 4XG If a revised route is agreed, the first thing they will need to do is adopt that as their preferred The information in this leaflet can be made route and protect the line from development. available in other formats upon request. They will also need to determine their priority Public for progressing the scheme relative to other 01604 883400 schemes in the county. 8. Which town/village do you live in? MGWSP, Riverside House, Riverside Way Consultation There would need to be further consultation Northampton NN1 5NX in taking any scheme forward. Due to the 9. (Optional) [email protected] Name: statutory processes involved in building a road, it would be a minimum of five years before a www.northamptonshire.gov.uk Address: bypass could open. Closing date is Friday 17th August 2012 Why are we consulting you? Central Bypass (Pink Route) • Design Speed 120kph (70mph) suitable Please tear off this questionnaire and for converting to a dual carriageway at a return using the FREEPOST envelope, or When we last consulted people there was The central bypass is estimated to cost later date. strong support for a northern bypass to between £50m and £55m for a single • Length of option 7.6km. complete online at: Weedon and Flore. However, as that was 10 carriageway road. • 85% on embankment. www.northamptonshire.gov.uk years ago, we need to ask everyone again to • 15% in flood plain. make sure that views have not changed. • Design Speed 120kph (70mph) suitable 1. Do you agree there is a traffic problem for converting to a dual carriageway at a Northern Bypass Option B (Blue Route) on the A45 at Weedon and Flore? Also in view of the shortage of public finance, later date. □ Yes we have developed a lower cost, but hopefully • Length of option 4.8km. This revised version of the northern bypass is □ No more deliverable, option for a northern bypass • 90% on embankment. estimated to cost between £30m and £35m for □ Do not know and we want to seek your views on that • 40% in flood plain. a single carriageway road. proposal. 2. Do you agree there is a traffic problem Southern Bypass (Green Route) • Design Speed 85kph (50 mph) suitable on the A45 at Upper Heyford? Background for single carriageway only. □ Yes The southern bypass is estimated to cost • Length of option 4.1km. □ No The delivery of an A45 bypass around between £45m and £50m for a single • 35% on embankment. □ Do not know Weedon, Flore and Upper Heyford has been carriageway road. • 5% in flood plain. planned for many years. In 2009 and 2010 a 3. Do you support the idea of a bypass to series of three stakeholder meetings were held solve the problem? with County, District and Parish Councillors Northern Bypass □ Yes within a study area between Daventry and Option B (Blue Route) □ No Northampton. These meetings generated □ Do not know a series of interventions aimed at resolving Northern Bypass 4. If a bypass is built, which route do you transport problems in the area. Dodford Option A (Red Route) prefer? Flore □ Northern Route Northern Bypass Option A (Red Route) □ Central Route Weedon Bec □ Southern Route The northern bypass is estimated to cost □ Do not know between £40m and £45m for a single carriageway road. Central Bypass Upper Heyford 5. If you support a northern route, which (Pink Route) option do you prefer? • Design Speed 120kph (70mph) suitable □ Northern Route Option A for converting to a dual carriageway at a □ Northern Route Option B later date. Southern Bypass Nether Heyford □ Do not know • Length of option 5.9km. (Green Route) □ Do not support northern route • 50% on embankment. • 5% in flood plain. Closing date is Friday 17th August 2012.