Examining Authority's Recommendation Report
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The Planning Act 2008 A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme Examining Authority’s Report of Findings and Conclusions and Recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport _______________________________________ Examining Authority Frances Fernandes Kevin Gleeson Emrys Parry Stephen Roscoe 11 February 2016 This page intentionally left blank ExA’s findings and conclusions and recommendation in respect of the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme File Ref TR010018 The Application, dated 30 December 2014, was made under section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 and was received in full by The Planning Inspectorate on 31 December 2014. The applicant was the Highways Agency, now Highways England. The Application was accepted for Examination on 27 January 2015. The Examination of the Application began on 13 May 2015 and was completed on 13 November 2015. The development proposed comprises the widening and diversion of the A14 between Cambridge and the A1(M), and works to junctions and access roads. The proposals include the widening of the A1 near Brampton and the creation of a grade separated interchange with the A14, on its new alignment south of Huntingdon. The new Huntingdon southern bypass is to be constructed between Brampton and Swavesey, at which point the route re-joins the existing A14. This stretch, between Swavesey and Milton would be widened in parts, with junctions rebuilt for grade separation, in conjunction with local access roads. The existing A14 between Brampton Hut and Swavesey would be de-trunked and the Huntingdon viaduct demolished. Summary of Recommendation: The Examining Authority recommends that the Secretary of State should make the Order in the form attached. Report to the Secretary of State 1 A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Report Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 5 1.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................... 5 1.2 APPOINTMENT OF PANEL .......................................................... 7 1.3 THE EXAMINATION AND PROCEDURAL DECISIONS ............................ 7 1.4 SITE VISITS ...................................................................... 10 1.5 OTHER CONSENTS REQUIRED ................................................. 10 1.6 REQUESTS TO BECOME OR WITHDRAW FROM BEING AN INTERESTED PARTY (S102A, S102B AND S102ZA) ...................... 10 1.7 UNDERTAKINGS GIVEN TO SUPPORT THE APPLICATION ................... 11 1.8 STATEMENTS OF COMMON GROUND .......................................... 11 1.9 STRUCTURE OF REPORT......................................................... 12 2 MAIN FEATURES OF THE PROPOSAL AND SITE ....................... 13 2.1 THE APPLICATION AS MADE .................................................... 13 2.2 AMENDMENTS TO THE APPLICATION DURING EXAMINATION .............. 15 2.3 RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY ................................................ 17 3 LEGAL AND POLICY CONTEXT ................................................. 18 3.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 18 3.2 PLANNING ACT 2008 (AS AMENDED) ........................................ 18 3.3 TRANSPORT ....................................................................... 19 3.4 AIR QUALITY ..................................................................... 21 3.5 NOISE 21 3.6 FLOODING ........................................................................ 22 3.7 BIODIVERSITY .................................................................... 23 3.8 NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY .................................................. 27 3.9 LOCAL IMPACT REPORT ......................................................... 27 3.10 THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN ....................................................... 28 3.11 THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S POWERS TO MAKE A DCO ................... 29 4 FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS IN RELATION TO POLICY AND FACTUAL ISSUES .................................................................... 31 4.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 31 4.2 THE MAIN ISSUES IN THE EXAMINATION ..................................... 31 4.3 PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT .................................................... 33 4.4 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ............................................... 34 4.5 DESIGN AND ENGINEERING STANDARDS .................................... 59 4.6 AIR QUALITY AND EMISSIONS ................................................. 62 4.7 CARBON EMISSIONS ............................................................ 72 4.8 NOISE AND VIBRATION ......................................................... 74 4.9 FLOOD RISK ...................................................................... 96 4.10 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACTS ........................................... 113 4.11 WATER QUALITY AND RESOURCES .......................................... 131 4.12 BIODIVERSITY AND ECOLOGICAL CONSERVATION ......................... 140 4.13 ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EFFECTS ........................................... 153 4.14 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT ..................................................... 158 4.15 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT .................................... 166 Report to the Secretary of State 2 A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon 5 HABITAT REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT .................................. 171 5.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 171 5.2 REPORT ON THE IMPLICATIONS FOR EUROPEAN SITES (RIES)......... 171 5.3 SCHEME LOCATION ............................................................ 172 5.4 HRA IMPLICATIONS OF SCHEME ............................................. 173 5.5 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................. 174 6 THE PANEL'S CONCLUSIONS ON THE CASE FOR DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................... 175 6.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 175 6.2 ASSESSING THE IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED SCHEME ................... 176 6.3 HABITATS REGULATIONS ASSESSMENT .................................... 179 6.4 OVERALL CONCLUSION ON THE CASE FOR DEVELOPMENT ................ 179 7 COMPULSORY ACQUISITION AND RELATED MATTERS .......... 181 7.1 THE REQUEST FOR COMPULSORY ACQUISITION POWERS ................ 181 7.2 THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH THE LAND IS REQUIRED ...................... 181 7.3 THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PLANNING ACT 2008 ....................... 182 7.4 HOW THE PANEL EXAMINED THE CASE FOR COMPULSORY ACQUISITION ................................................................... 183 7.5 THE APPLICANT'S CASE ....................................................... 185 7.6 OBJECTIONS .................................................................... 190 7.7 THE APPLICANT'S RESPONSE TO OBJECTIONS ............................. 191 7.8 THE OBJECTIONS AND THE PANEL'S RESPONSE TO OBJECTIONS. ....... 191 7.9 THE PANEL'S CONSIDERATION OF THE CA ISSUES ....................... 234 7.10 TEMPORARY POSSESSION .................................................... 236 7.11 THE PANEL'S OVERALL CA CONCLUSIONS.................................. 236 7.12 THE PANEL'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE GRANTING OF COMPULSORY ACQUISITION POWERS AND RELATED MATTERS ......... 238 8 DRAFT DEVELOPMENT CONSENT ORDER AND RELATED MATTERS .............................................................................. 240 8.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 240 8.2 ARTICLES ........................................................................ 241 8.3 SCHEDULE 1 - AUTHORISED DEVELOPMENT ............................... 250 8.4 SCHEDULE 2 - REQUIREMENTS .............................................. 253 8.5 SCHEDULES 3 AND 4 .......................................................... 268 8.6 SCHEDULES 5 TO 7............................................................ 269 8.7 SCHEDULE 8 - TREES SUBJECT TO TREE PRESERVATION ORDERS ..... 269 8.8 SCHEDULE 9 - PROTECTIVE PROVISIONS .................................. 269 8.9 SCHEDULE 10 .................................................................. 270 8.10 OTHER LEGAL AGREEMENTS .................................................. 270 8.11 OTHER CONSENTS ............................................................. 271 8.12 CONCLUSION ................................................................... 271 9 SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION ......... 272 9.1 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................. 272 9.2 RECOMMENDATION ............................................................ 272 Report to the Secretary of State 3 A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Appendices Contents APPENDIX A: THE EXAMINATION APPENDIX B: EXAMINATION LIBRARY APPENDIX C: LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS APPENDIX D: REPORT ON THE IMPLICATIONS FOR EUROPEAN SITES APPENDIX E: LIST OF OBJECTIONS TO THE GRANTING OF COMPULSORY ACQUISITION POWERS APPENDIX F: LIST OF INTERESTED PARTIES REQUESTING TO SPEAK AT A COMPULSORY ACQUISITION HEARING APPENDIX G: INTERESTED PARTIES REPRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL FARMERS UNION (NFU) AND AGENTS REPRESENTED BY THE A14 AGENTS ASSOCIATION APPENDIX H: RECOMMENDED DCO Report to the Secretary of State 4 A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon ERRATA SHEET – A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme - Ref TR010018 Examining authority’s Report of Findings and Conclusions and Recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport, dated 11 February 2016 Corrections agreed by the Examining