James Evans Proof of Evidence
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
VALE OF GLAMORGAN (A4226 FIVE MILE LANE HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS) COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER 2016 AND THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN A4226 (FIVE MILE LANE) CLASSIFIED ROAD SIDE ROADS ORDER 2016 PUBLIC INQUIRY JANUARY 2017 STATEMENT OF EVIDENCE HIGHWAY ENGINEERING MR JAMES ROBERT EVANS (WSP|PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF) NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES REFERENCE: 3155453/3155473 VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL REFERENCE: PMU/5ML ii CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1.1 Qualifications and Experience 1.2 Declaration 1.3 Nature of Evidence 1.4 Involvement with the Scheme 1.5 Structure of Evidence 2. Design Process and Scheme Development 2.1 Stages in the Design Process 2.2 Background to the Proposed Improvement 3. Design Standards 3.1 General 3.2 Geometric Design 3.3 Junction Design 3.4 Side Roads 4. Description of the Scheme 4.1 General Description of the Scheme 4.2 Sycamore Cross Junction 4.3 Accommodation Works 4.4 Improvement for Non-Motorised Users 4.5 Street Lighting 4.6 Highway Drainage 4.7 Traffic Signs and Road Markings 4.8 Transport Assessment 4.9 Statutory Undertakers 4.10 Traffic Noise 4.11 Environmental Impact Assessment 5. Conclusion iii APPENDICES LIST OF APPENDICES 1. The WelTAG Stage 1 Assessment of March 2012 2. The Planning Application relating to the proposed Scheme, and its supporting Environmental Statement 3. The Compulsory Purchase Order, with Order map and Schedules. 4. The Side Roads Order including plans 5. The Figures and Appendices to the Environmental Statement Figures 1. Figure 1.1 : Scheme Location 2. Figure 1.2 : Route Plan and Longitudinal Section 3. Figure 1.3 : Sycamore Cross Junction Works 4. Figure 2.1 : Existing Site Layout 5. Figure 3.1 : Highway Alignment and Redline Boundary 6. Figure 3.2 : Route Options 7. Figure 3.3 : Sutton Fach Farm Accommodation Underbridge 8. Figure 6.1a : Air Quality Study Area for Construction Impacts 9. Figure 6.1b : Air Quality Study Area for Operational Impacts 10. Figure 6.2 : Air Quality Monitoring Locations 11. Figure 7.1 : Heritage Asset Location Plan 12. Figure 8.1 : Landscape Context 13. Figure 8.2 : Landmap 14. Figure 8.3 : Landscape Character Areas 15. Figure 8.4 : Landscape Character Area Photographs 16. Figure 8.5 : ZVI and Key Views 17. Figure 8.6 : Key View Photographs 18. Figure 8.7 : Landscape Proposals 19. Figure 8.8 : Existing Vegetation to be Removed 20. Figure 8.9 : Indicative Sections 21. Figure 9.1 : Designated Sites 22. Figure 9.1a : Designated Sites North 23. Figure 9.1b : Designated Sites South 24. Figure 9.2 : Phase One Habitat Survey Plan 25. Figure 9.3 : Water Bodies and Sampling Locations 26. Figure 10.1 : Borehole Locations 27. Figure 12.1 : Noise Assessment Study Area 28. Figure 12.2 : Long-term Noise Impact (Do Minimum) 29. Figure 12.3 : Short-term Noise Impact Opening Year (DS – DM) 30. Figure 12.4 : Long-term Noise Impact – Do Minimum v Do Something iv 31. Figure 15.1 : Watercourse Location Plan 32. Figure 15.2 : Water Constraints 33. Figure 16.1 : Cumulative Developments Appendices 1. Appendix 1.1 : Screening Opinion 2. Appendix 1.2 : EIA Scoping Report 3. Appendix 1.3 : Scoping Opinion with Consultation Letters 4. Appendix 6.1 : Traffic Data for Air Quality Assessment 5. Appendix 6.2 : Dust Assessment Criteria 6. Appendix 6.3 : Model Verification 7. Appendix 6.4 : Model Results 8. Appendix 7.1 : Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment 9. Appendix 7.2 : Geophysical Survey Report 10. Appendix 7.3 : Archaeological Watching Brief Report 11. Appendix 7.4 : Written Scheme of Investigation 12. Appendix 8.1 : Landmap 13. Appendix 8.2 : Visual Effects Schedule 14. Appendix 9.1 : Great Crested Newt Survey Report 15. Appendix 9.2 : Water Vole Survey Report 16. Appendix 9.3 : Dormouse Survey Report 17. Appendix 9.4 : Bat Activity Survey Report 18. Appendix 9.5 : Bat Tree Survey Report 19. Appendix 9.6 : Phase 1 Habitat Survey Report 20. Appendix 9.7 : Crayfish Survey Report 21. Appendix 9.8 : Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Report 22. Appendix 9.9 : National Vegetation Survey (Extract from Soltys Brewster Interim Scheme Assessment Report Addendum, January 2011) 23. Appendix 10.1 : Preliminary Risk Assessment Report 24. Appendix 10.2 : Ground Investigation Factual Report 25. Appendix 12.1 : Glossary of Acoustic Terminology 26. Appendix 12.2 : Baseline Noise Report 27. Appendix 12.3 : WelTAG Appraisal 28. Appendix 13.1 : Transport Assessment 29. Appendix 15.1 : Flood Consequences Assessment Report 30. Appendix 15.2 : Consultation for Road Drainage and Water Environment 31. Appendix 15.3 : Envirocheck Datasheet Report 32. Appendix 15.4 : WFD Results Summary 33. Appendix 15.5 : HAWRAT Results 34. Appendix 15.6 : Drainage Plans (Sheets 1 to 4) 35. Appendix 15.7 : Permeability Testing 6. Road Safety Audit Stage 1 (incorporating Designer Comments) 7. Junction Strategy Report 1 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 1.1.1 My name is James Evans. I am a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation. I have a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Civil Engineering from Loughborough University of Technology and have 29 years of experience. I am a Regional Associate within the Highways Business Unit of WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff and am based at its Cardiff Office. 1.1.2 I have worked on all stages of highway projects from feasibility through to construction. 1.2 DECLARATION 1.2.1 I confirm that my duty to the inspector and the Welsh Ministers as an Expert Witness overrides any duty to those instructing or paying me, that I have understood this duty and complied with it in giving my evidence impartially and objectively and that I will continue to comply with that duty as required. 1.2.2 I confirm that I am not instructed under any conditional arrangement. 1.2.3 I confirm that I have no conflicts of interest. 1.3 NATURE OF EVIDENCE 1.3.1 My evidence covers highway engineering and preliminary design matters, junction design and highway drainage strategy in connection with the A4226 (Five Mile) Lane classified road. 2 1.3.2 The scheme proposals are published by means of the Vale of Glamorgan (A4226 Five Mile Lane Highway Improvements) Compulsory Purchase Order 2016 and the Vale of Glamorgan A4226 (Five Mile Lane) Classified Road Side Roads Order 2016. An Environmental Statement, which was published in 2016 in support of the planning application, details the environmental aspects of the scheme. The Side Roads Order (SRO) plans show the line of the proposed road and the changes proposed in relation to the improvement of the existing highway, stopping up of existing highway, construction of new highways, stopping up of private means of access and the provision of new means of access where appropriate. The Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) plans show the land needed to build the proposed road. 1.4 INVOLVEMENT WITH THE SCHEME 1.4.1 Parsons Brinckerhoff was commissioned by Welsh Government in August 2013 to undertake a study into improving access between Culverhouse Cross and the St Athan and Cardiff Airport Enterprise Zone. This commission focused on proposals to improve the A4226 Five Mile Lane classified road. 1.4.2 The preliminary highway design has been developed by Parsons Brinckerhoff and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff up to the submission of the planning application in April 2016 and development of the CPO and SRO plans and schedules published in July 2016. I have been the WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff project manager for the Scheme since January 2015. 1.5 STRUCTURE OF EVIDENCE 1.5.1 Section 2 of this evidence outlines the design process and development of the scheme submitted for planning permission. Section 3 describes the design standards adopted. Section 4 provides a description of the scheme. A summary and conclusions are presented in Section 5. 3 1.5.2 References to documents and appendices are references to the deposit and library documents and the appendices which are set out and numbered in the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Statement of Case in this matter unless otherwise stated. 4 2 DESIGN PROCESS AND SCHEME DEVELOPMENT 2.1 STAGES IN THE DESIGN PROCESS 2.1.1 There are there principal stages in the highway design process. Stage 1 – Option testing, public consultation and route selection. Stage 2 – Development of the selected route through planning application and Orders; and Stage 3 – Detailed design for construction 2.1.2 Stage 1 included a WelTAG Stage One Assessment of the proposed route corridor undertaken by Arup in March 2012. Stage 2 involved the development of the design along the identified route corridor culminating in the granting of conditional planning permission in December 2016 and the publishing of the proposed CPO and SRO in July 2016. Stage 3, detailed design would follow in the event of a satisfactory outcome of this Inquiry. 2.2 BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT 2.2.1 In July 2013 Edwina Hart AM, the Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology & Science announced funding for the A4226 Five Mile Road Improvement Scheme. The proposals stem from the strategic plans of both the Welsh Government and the Council. The Scheme will provide strategic and direct access to the St Athan and Cardiff Airport Enterprise Zone, supporting job creation and employment and will improve road infrastructure, safety and provision of a new cycle route. 5 2.2.2 The existing A4226 Five Mile Lane is a single carriageway road, in a rural location, varying in width between 6.0 and 7.3m. The route is classified and maintained as an ‘A’ road by the Vale of Glamorgan; however it currently fails to meet appropriate highway standards for a 60mph road. The Five Mile Lane section of the A4226 has acquired a reputation for having a poor accident record in recent years.