Appendix 1 – Further Details of Schemes

Category 1 – For completeness, this category contains those schemes which are current County Council priorities, where construction is expected to start within the current financial year. The following schemes fall into this category:

A45 Daventry Development Link – This scheme was granted planning permission in June 2015, and cabinet approved the funding package in July 2015. Construction commenced in December 2015.

A43 Northampton – Kettering Phase 1b (Round Spinney - Moulton ) – The planning permission was granted in August 2015. A cabinet report to approve the funding package for the scheme is due to be considered in November 2015.

Stanton Cross Access (Routes 4 and 9), Wellingborough – Work on this developer scheme has started, with funding through the Growth Deal.

Wootton Hall Park junction improvement, Northampton – Work on this scheme started in October 2015.

Category 2 - Those schemes either with some funding secured or which are sufficiently developed to be considered for funding bids over the next few months, and with construction start possible in 2016/17 -2017/18.

(a) – NCC schemes with some funding already secured

A43 Northampton – Kettering Phase 2 (Moulton – Holcot/Sywell) - £5.5m of Growth Deal funding has been allocated to this scheme from 2017/18. Limited funding has been allocated from the LTB Integrated Transport Block in 2015/16 to further develop the design and firm-up the costings and timescales for the scheme.

A361 Chipping Warden Relief Road – The Secretary of State has committed to fund this scheme as part of HS2 subject to acquisition of the necessary powers and a funding contribution of £2m from NCC. Subject to HS2 gaining Royal Assent before the end of 2016, it is anticipated that construction of this scheme would start early in 2017.

A509 Wellingborough Development Link Phase 1 (Isham Bypass) - £15m of Growth Deal funding has already been allocated towards this scheme, with an expected construction start date in spring 2017. The design is being reviewed alongside development of the full funding package. The County Council’s approved capital programme includes funding to continue development work on the scheme through to construction.

Smart Corridors and Smart Commuting (Northampton) – Growth Deal funding has been provisionally allocated to these schemes from 2016/17, and associated developer funding is being used to progress development of the schemes so that a start can be made early in the new financial year.

(b) – Highways England schemes

A5 Towcester Relief Road – Funding for this scheme is expected to be split between developers and Highways England (through Roads Investment Strategy). Discussions are currently ongoing with regards to expediting the delivery of this scheme.

A14 Junction 10a - Funding for this scheme is expected to be split between developers and Highways England (through Roads Investment Strategy). Discussions are currently ongoing with regards to expediting the delivery of this scheme.

A43 Abthorpe Roundabout (Towcester ) – Funding for this Highways England scheme is included in the Roads Investment Strategy and following public consultation in November 2015, work is expected to start in 2016.

A45 Northampton Growth Management Scheme – A series of improvements to junctions on the A45 through Northampton, between M1 Junction 15 and Great Billing Way, funded through developer contributions/obligations. Work on the first junctions is expected to start in 2016.

(c) – NCC schemes likely to be candidates for next Growth Deal

Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone – Plough Hotel – This scheme, to improve the Plough Hotel gyratory and Morrison’s roundabout, will follow on from the already-built improvements at Gas Street and Victoria Promenade/Bedford Road to complete the improvements to the southern part of the Inner Ring Road. Limited funding has been allocated from the LTB Integrated Transport Block in 2015/16 to further develop the design and firm-up the costings and timescales for the scheme.

Sandy Lane Relief Road Phase 2, Northampton – This scheme which will complete the new link from A4500 Weedon Road to A428 Harlestone Road, is expected to be delivered by the developers of Norwood Farm, who it is understood are currently reviewing their proposals. Discussions with developers indicate that match-funding to accelerate this scheme could be a strong candidate for the next round of Growth Deals.

Waterside Enterprize Zone - Cliftonville Road Smart Corridor, Northampton – The proposed widening of this road forms part of a strategy for better traffic management on the approaches to the town centre. Limited funding has been allocated from the LTB Integrated Transport Block in 2015/16 to further develop the design and firm-up the costings and timescales for the scheme.

Eskdail Street, Kettering – Work has been undertaken to cost this scheme, which is an important part of the transport strategy for Kettering adopted by both KBC and NCC. It could be included in the Growth Deal either as a stand-alone scheme, or as part of a wider package of measures.

Corby Walk – This CBC-led scheme, to improve the links between the town centre and railway station, could form the focus of a Growth Deal Bid (possibly a package) for Corby.

Some of these schemes could form part of a bid for a package of schemes, including some smaller-scale measures. It would also be possible to submit such a package bid for Wellingborough, although it is not evident that there are any major scheme elements which should be included.

Category 3 - Schemes where less preparation work has been undertaken, but which are, or could be, progressed (subject to funding) to allow construction from 2018/19 onwards. (a) – Highways England schemes

A45/A6 Chown’s Mill Roundabout, Higham Ferrers – Funding for this Highways England scheme is included in the Roads Investment Strategy and is expected to start in the latter part of the 2016-20 funding period, due to the statutory powers needed, although there are discussions with regards to expediting the scheme.

A45 Stanwick to Thrapston Dualling – This scheme is included in the Roads Investment Strategy for funding in the post-2020 period.

(b) – NCC schemes – current priorities

A43 Northampton – Kettering (Further phases ) – Following on from Phases 1a, 1b and 2, it will be necessary to consider the future priorities for improvement of this corridor. It is currently proposed that such a decision be informed by a re-survey of traffic conditions along the corridor once Phase 1b is open to traffic, to allow the priority section to be identified.

A509 Wellingborough Development Link Phase 2 (Isham to Wellingborough Improvement) – A review of this scheme, to identify a more affordable solution, is being undertaken in 2015/16 using Garden Communities funding. This would then inform a strategy for taking the scheme forward.

Stanton Cross Routes 2 and 6, Wellingborough – Together, these two routes will facilitate further development at Stanton Cross development. It is possible that as part of further support for the development, a further bid for public funding towards these routes may be appropriate.

Weekley Warkton Avenue, Kettering – The Coalition Government indicated that a future funding bid for this scheme – based on a combination of Growth Deal and ‘Local’ funding is likely to be favoured. Work is currently under way to identify further funding for the development of the scheme.

(c) - NCC schemes – possible additional priorities

A422 Farthinghoe Bypass – This scheme, which was being developed in the 1990s, has not been a priority project for some years. However, the problems in the village persist due to the road width being insufficient for two HGVs to pass, and this will be exacerbated by the level of development proposed in Banbury and Brackley. Some initial work (funded from the Integrated Transport Block) is being undertaken to re- examine the scheme, and subject to consultation indicating support from the village for an affordable alignment, it is proposed that a report be brought to Cabinet in spring 2016 adding this road to this list of priority schemes.

Northampton North West Relief Road and Northern Orbital Route – What was previously known as the North-West Bypass (A428-A5199) has been proposed for many years, with an expectation that it would be (largely) developer funded. Work undertaken to examine the implications of Growth in Northampton, indicate that in addition to that scheme, further Northern Orbital Route will be necessary to complete the link from the A5199 to A43. Using funding from the Integrated Transport Block, work to consider the two schemes is currently under way, with the expectation of a Cabinet report in spring 2016 to agree a preferred route. Owing to the scale of the scheme, construction phasing and funding will important considerations, and it is proposed that the report also recommends which sections of the route are progressed with the highest priority.

Brackmills Disused Railway Cycle Track – NCC currently owns the section of route east of London Road, and is exploring purchase of the section to the west. There are a number of proposals for use of this route including heat transfer pipes and the ‘Mole’ logistics distribution system. While these are not incompatible with the use of the route for transport purposes, it is anticipated that such underground provision would need to be made before any surface route was built. Once an overall strategy for use of the route has been determined, suitable funding sources can be examined.

Category 4 - Schemes which can be developed at a future date, as other higher priority schemes progress to construction. (a) – Highways England schemes

M1 J14 to J19 possible Widening . The flows on the M1 through Northamptonshire are forecast to increase from around 110,000 in 2012, to around 140,000 in 2026 and around 170,000 in 2040. While the proposed Smart Motorway (Hard-Shoulder Running) scheme will provide additional capacity in the medium-term, it is may be necessary to considering the widening of the route in the longer-term. Given the implications of this scheme, it should be progressed as part of an overall strategy for the M1.

A14 Upgrade to Motorway . The flows on the A14 in Northamptonshire are forecast to increase from 43-60,000 vehicles in 2012, to 51-75,000 in 2026 and 60-90,000 in 2040. The highest flows are experienced around Kettering where the A14 was built to serve also as a bypass for the A6 and A43 trunk roads. While the recently completed widening from J7 to J9 will provide some capacity in the medium-term, over that timescale there may also be a need for improvements J3-J7 and J9- J10(a). In the longer-term, the flows would justify upgrading to D3M along the route, and possibly D4M for the busiest sections around Kettering.

A43/A45 Expressway/Smart Corridor Upgrade – The A43/A45 corridor, connecting the M40, M1 and A14, sees significant variation in traffic flows along the route, ranging from just under 20,000 on the A45 south of Thrapston, to in excess of 70,000 vehicles around Northampton in 2012. By 2026, the minimum flow will be around 28,000 and 36,000 by 2040. This indicates the need for significant upgrading of the route over the medium-long-term, with most sections likely to justify grade-separated junctions to avoid congestion, and some sections outside Northampton reaching levels where more than 3 lanes would be required. Around Northampton continued traffic growth may mean a need to consider an alternative to the existing route (which forms an essential part of the town’s transport infrastructure) for strategic traffic. Given the interaction between the local and strategic road networks, it is likely that any upgrade would need to be subject to a joint study between the County Council and Highways England.

A5/A422 Old Stratford Roundabout – The Old Stratford roundabout is located close to Northamptonshire’s boundary with Milton Keynes. It brings together three main roads from Northamptonshire, the A5 from Towcester, A422 from Brackley and the A508 from Northampton, Watling Street leading into Old Stratford village, and the dual-carriageway A5 southwards through Milton Keynes. While some improvements on a modest scale are proposed by Highways England in the near future, the scale of growth proposed in Northamptonshire. Milton Keynes and elsewhere would suggest that a more fundamental improvement to the junction may be required in the longer-term.

(b) – NCC schemes

A6 Rushden Improvements – The modelling work undertaken to support the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy has indicated potential issues on the A6 south of Rushden, which it is intended to examine further using Garden Communities funding. This may lead to a scheme necessary to mitigate the impacts of the development. In addition, flows on the A6 Rushden-Higham Ferrers Bypass were forecast in the Major Roads Strategy to increase from 15,225 in 2012 to some 22,000 in 2026. By 2040 a similar trajectory would reach nearly 29,000 vehicles, and it would be therefore be prudent to ensure that the land necessary for dualling of the bypass is reserved when the proposed Sustainable Urban Extension is built.

A43 Corby to Stamford Improvements – The flows on this road are forecast to increase from around 9,000 vehicles per day in 2012 to some 22-24,000 in 2026, which could indicate they would reach over 36,000 by 2040. While these flows indicate significant out of county commuting to or from Corby, and need considering in more detail, they do at present support the idea of future dualling of the road.

A508 Improvements (M1 J15 to A5) – The current traffic flow of some 13,000 vehicles at Yardley Gobion is forecast to increase to 15,000 by 2026 and 17,000 by 2040. Given the scale of growth proposed at both Northampton and Milton Keynes, it is suspected that capacity problems are constraining the traffic volumes. As an important route linking Northampton and Milton Keynes, it is likely to be appropriate in the medium-long term to consider the need for improvements to this route, including the possibility of bypassing the village of Roade.

A508 Boughton to Brixworth Improvements – Traffic flows on this route are expected to increase from some 11,000 vehicles in 2012 to 19,000 in 2026 and 27,000 in 2040. Given the alignment of this route, this is likely to require some improvements in the medium-term and possibly dualling in the longer-term. While unlikely to be a priority in the short-term, it is recommended that this section of route would be considered alongside further development of the Northampton Northern Orbital described above, due to the inter-relationship between the schemes.

A509 Wellingborough Development Link Phase 3 (Park Farm Way Dualling ) – Progress on this scheme will await further consideration of Phase 2.

A605 Improvements – Current (2012) flows are over 18,000 at Warmington and 16,600 at Barnwell. By 2026 these will reach 28,000 and 22,000 respectively, and by 2040 37,000 and 28,000. The route carries a very high level of HGVs, reflecting its use as a link between the A14 and A1. While there are similar concerns about this high level of growth to those for the A43, the baseline flows are higher. They indicate that the initial priority for dualling would be the section from Oundle to the A1, followed by the section from Thrapston to Oundle. However, there are likely to be some not insignificant environmental issues due to the location of the road in the Nene valley.