DARLINGTON NORTHERN NOV LINK ROAD 2020 PUBLIC INFORMATION ENGAGEMENT Foreword The need for improvement Ever since I was elected Mayor of the Tees within Tees Valley to other city regions and the The Northern Link Road (DNLR) is a Valley in 2017, I have always been looking rest of the UK. proposed new road between the A66/A1150 Little Burdon junction and A1(M) Junction 59. It will link the at ways to improve the region, making it The Darlington Northern Link Road will improve Tees Valley, including key assets such as Teesport, an even better place for the people who the route from the A1(M) to Teesport, improving Teesworks and Teesside International Airport, live here and the businesses that call journey times, reliability and resilience. This will with the A1(M) and beyond. It will also establish support more business, more jobs and more hou​ Tees Valley Combined Authority has an efficient link between and the Darlington, Teesside or home. sing across the region, and these all-important ambitious plans to grow the local economy. expanding port facilities on the . improvements will help to clear traffic blackspots We have ambitious plans to grow our economy and that, for too long, have blighted our roadways. The Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Due to the lack of north facing slip roads at Junction create thousands of local jobs for local people, whether Strategic Economic Plan (2016-2026) identifies a 57 of the A1(M), the local roads A167 and A1150 on the former Redcar Steelworks site, now known This scheme is about improving the lives of key strategic transport and infrastructure priority to are used by traffic travelling from the A66 to/from as Teesworks, or by investing in and supporting the local people. It is still in the design stage so it is “improve east-west road connectivity to provide a the north via the A1(M) and are the signed routes. fantastic small businesses we have. And with my plan important that you have your say on the plans and high quality, resilient corridor along the A66 from However, these local roads, with traffic calming for jobs we are making huge progress in creating the let us know your thoughts. You can find out all the A1(M) to the international gateway at Teesport” features and pedestrian refuges, are unsuitable good-quality, well paid jobs we all want to see come about the scheme, visit the online exhibition room as part of facilitating population and job growth. for high levels of traffic, which includes significant to our region. and feedback via our online survey by visiting numbers of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). www.teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/consultations Transformational improvements to the road An important part of the plan is ensuring we have the network are critical to help us achieve our vision The use of the A167 and A1150 by strategic traffic causes first class transport infrastructure and facilities, whether to provide a high quality, quick, affordable, reliable stress on the local road network in Darlington, negatively that be through a thriving Teesside Airport, upgraded and safe transport network for people and freight impacts residents along these routes and is considered Darlington Station or improvements to our road network. Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor to move within, to and from the Tees Valley. a constraint on development across the Tees Valley. One of these improvements includes better east-west connectivity from the A1(M) to Teesport. The A66 is the main trans-Pennine route north of the M62, connecting the M6, the A1(M) and Teesport. It is a vital part of the Tees Valley road network and connects the key centres

Newton Aycliffe

Teesport Business Park Teesworks Brafferton A1 Motorway Proposed Darlington Junction 59 Northern Link Road Stockton-on-Tees Middlesbrough A167 A1150 Symmetry Park A66

Darlington Morton Park

Teesside Airport

East Coast Main Line

The Darlington Northern Link Road will improve the region's connections onto the Motorway network and support the plans to grow the economy and create jobs

2 Darlington Northern Link Road | Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Combined Authority | Darlington Northern Link Road 3 Current Issues Scheme Benefits

Local Roads are unsuitable for the high levels of traffic and high volumes of HGVs The Darlington Northern Link Road will: ■ Improve the resilience of the road network and reduce the impact of events such as roadworks ■ Improve the environment for residents along the and road traffic accidents A167/A1150 as a result of the reduced traffic volumes ■ Provide an alternative route for all traffic and HGVS ■ Improve safety on the local road network rather than using the local roads through Darlington Traffic flows on theA167/A1150 have HGV ■ Improve journey time reliability to join the A1(M) a higher proportion of Heavy Goods Vehicles than the A66 south of ■ Reduce traffic levels and number of Heavy Goods ■ Connect Tees Valley to the A1(M) and beyond. Darlington, with around 1,500 per day A167/ A1150 7.1% Vehicles on A167/A1150 This will support economic growth for the region by improving access to Teesport and Teesside ■ Improve journey times for those using the new International Airport together with making the Tees A66 SOUTH 4.8% Darlington Northern Link Road and the existing Valley more attractive to investors and visitors A1150/A167

■ Traffic volumes on the A167/A1150 are comparable to the A66 south The Story so far ■ Current journey times unreliable ■ Delays in peaks periods set to increase if nothing done ■ By 2043, peak period delay will double ⊲ A689/A66 East West Study commissioned by Highways with TVCA to identify opportunities to improve links between the Tees Valley and the wider road network 2015

⊲ Highways England study completed identifying the DNLR as a high performing option

⊲ Further work funded by TVCA confirmed DNLR should be progressed ahead of improvements to the existing A66

Local amenities in the vicinity High levels of traffic using A five school Academy is next 2016 ⊲ Six options were originally considered for the northern link road, with the two most viable options taken creates potential conflicts A167/A1150 creates safety to the A1150 meaning there forward for further detailed consideration, these were Route A and Route B between pedestrians and issues with pedestrians are challenges for children to traffic walk and cycle to school ⊲ Department for Transport funded development of Route A and Route B, and Public Information Events held across Tees Valley region

2017 ⊲ Route A announced as TVCA’s preferred route based on feedback from the Public Information events

⊲ Single carriageway alternatives based on Route A developed that would: O Achieve better value for money 2018 O Address concerns raised during the 2017 Public Information Events

⊲ Technical documentation was completed for the single carriageway options considered to date Accident information indicates there are accident clusters along the: 2019

■ A1150 Road ⊲ TVCA funded work to develop and assess the single carriageway options and undertake Public Information ■ A167 through Beaumont Hill and Mundeville

2020 Events which will conclude with the submission of an Outline Business case in early 2021 with supporting technical information

TRAFFIC FLOWS ON THE HGV 4 A167/A1150Darlington HAVE Northern A HIGHER Link Road | Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Combined Authority | Darlington Northern Link Road 5 PROPORTION OF HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES HGVS THAN THE A66 SOUTH 4.8% A66 SOUTH OF DARLINGTON A167/ A1150 7.1%

JOURNEY FROM LITTLE BURDON TO A1M JUNCTION 59

0:10 0:10 OFFPEAK PERIODS

0:1813 0:18 PEAK PERIODS

CURRENT JOURNEY TIME WITH DELAYS 2020 IF NOTHING IS DONE BY 2043 What we are proposing What this public engagement is about How the scheme will affect our community

Following the 2017 announcement of Route A as the The proposed scheme passes through a largely The potential impacts on farms adjacent to the route as preferred option, the route has been developed to rural environment with a mix of land uses including well as pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians will be fully We are proposing that Darlington Northern minimise the impact on the environment where possible agricultural, industrial, commercial and large scale considered as we develop our proposals. Ensuring that and moved further away from Brafferton in response to residential. There are multiple local access roads access is maintained will be critical to ensure the local Link Road provides a strategic link between concerns raised by local residents. and public rights of way along the line of the community is still connected to the wider area. A66/A1150 Little Burdon junction and A1(M) proposed route which provide commuting links and Junction 59. We want to hear your views on the revised Darlington access for the local community as well as recreational During construction we will seek to minimise disruption Northern Link Road alignment and the options for routes across the area. The proposed scheme has to non-motorised users and ensure appropriate We propose a single carriageway road starting from an the northern tie-in to the A1(M). Your feedback will be the potential to benefit the local community as diversions are in place if required. enlarged, signalised, roundabout at Little Burdon and analysed and used to inform the scheme’s business it reduces congestion on the A167/A1150, as well extending north approximately 7.5km, passing to the case and the next stage of scheme’s design process. as potential improvements to road safety. north east of Barmpton and Brafferton, before forming a new junction arrangement with the A1(M) Junction At this stage our options are not decided, and feedback 59. Several options have been considered for the new received from the public information events will be fully northern connection of the Darlington Northern Link considered before any decisions are taken. Feedback is Road to the existing road network. Following evaluation welcomed on the options for the northern junction and of the options, 3 have been taken forward for further on aspects to incorporate into future design stages of development and are outlined in this leaflet. Route A.

) M 1( A Alignment revised since 2017 to move further from Brafferton

Brafferton

Coatham Mundeville

) (M 1 A

A

1 6 7

iver Ske R rne

Barmpton New enlarged and signalised roundabout KEY at Little Burdon with a free-flow link road from the DNLR onto the A66 Area of Proposed heading east Options

Proposed Darlington Northern Link Road A 1150 Extract from visualisation of Darlington Northern Link Road. Provision for access across the proposed road has been included - these will be developed further as the design progresses

6 Darlington Northern Link Road | Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Combined Authority | Darlington Northern Link Road 7 Environmental Considerations

We need to balance the need to build the Environmental features plan: Climate: Landscape and Visual Effects: Darlington Northern Link Road against its potential impact on the environment. The image below shows some of the environmental Alongside air quality, we will assess the carbon footprint We will fully assess the potential effects of the new and greenhouse gases associated with the scheme road on the character of the local landscape and on Environmental issues are very important features considered when identifying the route alignments; with the revised Route A alignment located and consider the potential impact of climate change on important viewpoints. The scheme is located in a largely to us, and environmental specialists are to minimise the impact on the environment where the design, construction and operation of the proposed rural area where there are a number of residential working with the design team to assess possible. These and other environmental features will scheme. communities (including Brafferton and Barmpton) and be considered by the environmental specialists when public recreational facilities (such as Public Rights of the effect that any proposed route Way) which will potentially experience changes to their they assess the potential environmental impacts of the Noise and Vibration: options will have on the environment. scheme. views. Our team will seek to design the scheme to take We are committed to minimising any account of important landscape features and minimise overall impact on the landscape and views. negative effects the scheme may have Air Quality: The scheme will generally pass through a rural area where the A1(M), A167, A66, local roads, local farm on the environment and communities. working, and the East Coast Main Line contribute to Cultural heritage: Where such effects are identified we Our team is looking at the potential effect of the scheme the overall noise climate. Our team is looking at the will take measures to avoid, reduce or on local air quality during the operation of the road. potential effect of the scheme on noise during the Whilst the volume of traffic using the A66 and A1(M) construction and operation of the road. Our initial design work has enabled us to directly avoid rectify the impacts of the scheme. is forecast to increase in future years, the proposed sensitive heritage assets including the scheduled scheme will reduce congestion levels and, therefore, monuments at Coatham Mundeville, Ketton Bridge, A Construction Environment Management Plan would the level of vehicular emissions, easing the strain on Biodiversity: and the World War II bombing decoy control shelter near be developed in subsequent stages to mitigate the local road network in and around Darlington. Farm, as well as avoiding direct impacts to any construction impacts by ensuring best practice listed buildings. Listed buildings, scheduled monuments techniques are used by the Contractor. We will assess the potential effects of the scheme and other aspects of the historic landscape, including on designated sites, protected species and habitats. setting impacts on Conservation Areas, will be assessed We know there are ecological features nearby that in detail as the design evolves. may be affected by the proposals, including several local and nationally designated sites. There are also important habitats within the scheme corridor such as Geology and Soils: watercourses including the River Skerne and Carcut Public Footpaths Conservation Area Beck and priority habitats including lowland meadows There are historic ground instability features, foundered and deciduous woodland, and the potential for ground, documented in the Darlington area where protected species, such as bats. depressions have formed at the surface. The proposed route has been designed to avoid these historic ground As part of the current process and to accord with features. Further assessment and ground investigation best practice, preliminary non-invasive (walk-over) work will be carried out as part of the design process. Woodland ecology surveys have been undertaken to enhance Foundered Ground our understanding of the ecological issues associated with the proposed options and to help inform the Road drainage and our water mitigation required. More detailed surveys including environment: River Skerne protected species surveys will be carried out at later design stages. There are several watercourses in the area surrounding the proposed scheme, including the River Skerne and East Coast Main Line Carcut Beck and it is important that these watercourses KEY Carcut Beck are protected from pollution during construction. Proposed Darlington Northern Link Road The drainage for the proposed scheme will be designed to store water in a series of drainage basins along the Listed Buildings route to ensure that surface water run-off does not adversely affect the local watercourses or contribute to additional flooding.

8 Darlington Northern Link Road | Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Combined Authority | Darlington Northern Link Road 9 Northern Purple option Connection Options

■ Provides direct connection to The project team will be working In 2017 a direct connection into A1 (M) Junction 59 was shown. This has now been Darlington Northern Link Road for with Highways England to provide discounted following outputs from the latest traffic modelling which showed that the traffic traffic travelling from/to north of supplementary information to levels in the future will create congestion resulting in safety issues on the A1. 11 options Darlington on the A1(M) inform their review were developed to overcome this issue and these were evaluated with stakeholder input. ■ Existing Junction 59 would remain The three options identified to be progressed further were: purple, red & brown. as per current arrangement

■ Meets design standards however, it will be subject to further review by Highways England to ensure operational safety and policy 3 options (Purple, Red & Brown) are being considered for the Northern Connection concerns can be addressed

DNLR New North Facing Existing Lime Lane junction slip roads retained for access to property 1 and for Network Rail New crossing of the railway line 3 Alignment revised since 2017 to 3 move further from Brafferton New crossing of River Skerne to join an enlarged roundabout on the A167 2 1 Darlington Northern Link Road continuing south to ) M Little Burdon roundabout 1( A 2

Railway (M) Line A1 Junction 59 Brafferton Railway Reuse existing Lime Lane Line bridge over the A1(M) Services

A1(M) Junction 59 Braerton

River Skerne ) No change to Juntion 59 (M 1 A Coatham Mundeville

KEY River A 1 Skerne 6 7 Area of Proposed A 1 KEY 6 Options 7 Access from DNLR TO A1(M) North Proposed Darlington Northern Link Road Access from A1(M) North to DNLR

Coatham Mundeville

10 Darlington Northern Link Road | Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Combined Authority | Darlington Northern Link Road 11 Red option Brown option

■ Does not have direct connection ■ Would provide direct connection ■ Connection from A167 onto Lime onto the A1(M) which means access onto the A1(M) for the Darlington Lane would need to be restricted to/from the Darlington Northern Northern Link Road ■ Link Road would require to be Potential requirements for ■ signed from Junction 59 Existing north facing slip roads measures to prevent rat-run at Junction 59 are closed. All through Brafferton onto the A167 ■ Existing Junction 59 would remain Darlington and Newton Aycliffe as per current arrangement bound traffic would use new north facing slip roads

7 6 1 DNLR A No direct Existing Lime Lane junction 7 6 retained for access to property connection to the 1 DNLR A New north facing and for Network Rail New crossing of A1(M) Connection from A167 to Lime slip roads the railway line Lane would need to be restricted 1 3

e

n

r

2 e 3 k

4 S 3 r

e Darlington Northern Link v 5 i Road continuing south to R Darlington Northern Link New crossing of River Little Burdon roundabout 2 1 1 Road continuing south to Skerne to join an enlarged 4 Little Burdon roundabout roundabout on the A167 2 1 3 5 New connector road northbound; with bridges Railway over the River Skerne and Line Reuse existing Lime Lane bridge over the A1(M) the railway line Services (M) Railway Reuse existing Lime Lane A1 Line bridge over the A1(M) Services A1(M) (M) Junction 59 Bra erton A1 A1(M) River Junction 59 New connector road Bra erton 2 Skerne southbound; with bridges over the River Skerne and the railway line No change to Juntion 59 A No change to Juntion 59 1 6 7 A 1 6 7

KEY KEY

Access from DNLR TO A1(M) North Access from DNLR TO A1(M) North

Access from A1(M) North to DNLR Coatham Mundeville Access from A1(M) North to DNLR

Coatham Mundeville

12 Darlington Northern Link Road | Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Combined Authority | Darlington Northern Link Road 13 Comparison How to find our information Due to the changing guidance ■ 7th December 18.30-19.30 Combined Authority website of Options around COVID-19 events will Whinfield Road/A1150 area and encourage feedback on the be online. We urge Tees Valley scheme via the questionnaire. residents to visit our online ■ 8th December 12.30-13.30 exhibition room and attend one of General Information to register for the our online events to hear about the ■ 9th December 18.30-19.30 event* is available at The three options provide journey time All three options have the same proposed proposals in more detail. Brafferton area www.teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/ consultations savings of approximately 3 to 6 minutes single carriageway alignment, developed We’re hosting three online question Where possible, in order to help and around 130,000 to 250,000 hours of from Route A, starting from Little Burdon and answer events. At these events us answer all queries on the day, (*) Please note these live sessions delay saved per year. The assessment work and extending north before forming a we will give a short presentation please attend the session which may be recorded and published on to camera and then take questions is proposed for your local area (if Tees Valley Combined Authority’s for the options is ongoing and the table new junction arrangement with the A1(M) from attendees. You can submit your applicable). If you are unable to website after the event. below provides a comparison based on the Junction 59. The three options each have questions using the chat function, attend an event, we will be providing current information. a different junction arrangement with the which can be used anonymously. a recording on the Tees Valley existing A1(M) Junction 59.

We want to hear your views Options Objective This is your opportunity to give your views on our proposals. There are various ways that you can respond: Purple Red Brown

Environmental Impacts Online: visit our online exhibition room and attend Email: you can email your feedback to the project one of our online events. A questionnaire is also team at [email protected]. using While not assessed land take is While not assessed least land While not assessed greatest land available to provide your feedback at ‘Darlington Northern Link Road’ as your subject less than Brown and therefore take and therefore likely to take and therefore likely to be www.teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/consultations title. likely to be lower impact than be least impact greatest impact Brown By post: you can request information materials Phone: call 01642 524400 to arrange a call back or and return your questionnaire, and any other to request materials and a member of our team will Operational safety feedback, by writing to Tees Valley Combined arrange for a copy to be sent to you. ✔ ✔ ✔ Authority, Cavendish House, Business Compliant with design standard Park, Stockton-on-Tees TS17 6QY. however, further review needed with Highways England. This information booklet provides details of the proposals to help you provide your feedback to this information event. Further material is available online at www.teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/consultations Improvements for Cyclists ✔ ✔ ✔ and Pedestrians Please ensure your feedback reaches us by Friday 18th December 2020.

Area of Land Take Required What happens next Cost to Construct ££ £ ££££ Your views are important to us. Following the public The scheme is still at the early stage of Approx 3 years Approx 3 years Approx 3–4years Time to Construct information events, we will analyse the feedback development and projects of this nature do take (whole route) (Following on from further design & approval received. Comments will be used to inform the a long time to develop. There would be future processes) next stages of development of the scheme and the consultation, specific discussions, agreements Disruption during construction Moderate Moderate Significant business case that is being produced. and permission process to be followed should the scheme move to the next stages of design. This stage of work will conclude with the Benefit to Cost ratio; work Benefits likely to be in range of Benefits likely to be in range Benefits likely to be less than ongoing on this aspect £1 to £1.50 for every £1 spent of £1 to £1.50 for every £1 £1 for every £1 spent submission of an Outline Business Case to spent Government in early 2021.

14 Darlington Northern Link Road | Tees Valley Combined Authority Tees Valley Combined Authority | Darlington Northern Link Road 15 Project scheme and contact details Tees Valley Combined Authority Cavendish House | Teesdale Business Park Stockton on Tees | TS17 6QY Email: [email protected]