SEMMMS A6 - M60 RELIEF ROAD FEASIBILITY STUDY VOLUME 1: STAGE 1 – STUDY REPORT Report No : 1 SEMMMS A6 - M60 RELIEF ROAD STUDY STAGE 1 STUDY VOLUME 1 – STUDY REPORT Transport for Greater Manchester & Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Click here to enter text. Project no: 70019764 WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff The Victoria 150-182 The Quays Salford Greater Manchester M50 3SP www.wsp-pb.com ii TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..............................................................6 1.1 OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................... 6 1.2 POLICY REVIEW ............................................................................................... 7 1.3 ECONOMIC CONTEXT ...................................................................................... 9 1.4 TRAFFIC AND TRAFFIC DATA REVIEW ....................................................... 10 1.5 WIDER CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................ 10 1.6 HIGHWAY DESIGN AND OPTIONS REVIEW ................................................ 11 1.7 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW ........................................................................... 11 1.8 STAGE 1 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .................................................. 12 2 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................13 2.1 BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT .................................................................... 13 2.2 STUDY BRIEF .................................................................................................. 14 2.3 WIDER CONSIDERATIONS ............................................................................ 15 2.4 SCHEME LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION .................................................... 15 2.5 THE TRAFFIC CASE FOR THE A6 – M60 SCHEME ..................................... 17 2.6 SCHEME INFRASTRUCTURE ........................................................................ 18 2.7 REPORT STRUCTURE .................................................................................... 19 3 TRANSPORT POLICY REVIEW ................................................20 3.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 20 3.2 NATIONAL TRANSPORT POLICIES .............................................................. 20 3.3 REGIONAL TRANSPORT POLICIES ............................................................. 25 3.4 GREATER MANCHESTER TRANSPORT POLICIES .................................... 28 3.5 GREATER MANCHESTER SPATIAL FRAMEWORK .................................... 45 3.6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................... 46 4 ECONOMIC REVIEW .................................................................48 4.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 48 4.2 NORTH OF ENGLAND .................................................................................... 48 4.3 NORTH WEST ENGLAND ............................................................................... 48 4.4 GREATER MANCHESTER .............................................................................. 49 4.5 LOCAL TRENDS .............................................................................................. 51 4.6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................... 64 5 TRAFFIC & TRAVEL DATA REVIEW ........................................ 66 5.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 66 5.2 THE TRAFFIC CASE FOR THE A6-M60 SCHEME ........................................ 66 SEMMMS: A6 - M60 Relief Road Study WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Project No 70019764 Stage 1 Report iii 5.3 ROAD TRAFFIC CONGESTION ...................................................................... 66 5.4 THE ORIGINAL SEMMMS TRAFFIC MODELS .............................................. 82 5.5 2004 OUTLINE BUSINESS CASE................................................................... 82 5.6 A6MARR PLANNING APPLICATION ............................................................. 83 5.7 PREVIOUS DATA COLLECTION .................................................................... 83 5.8 FURTHER DATA REQUIREMENTS ............................................................... 87 5.9 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................... 87 6 HIGHWAY DESIGN OPTIONS REVIEW .................................... 88 6.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 88 6.2 TASK OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................ 88 6.3 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................. 94 7 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW ...................................................... 95 7.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 95 7.2 SCOPE AND CONTEXT .................................................................................. 95 7.3 SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS ............... 112 7.4 POLICIES AND PLANS ................................................................................. 120 7.5 DISRUPTION DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ..................................................... 121 7.6 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ............................................................................... 121 7.7 KEY CONSTRAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXISTING INFORMATION............................................................................................... 123 7.8 NEXT STEPS .................................................................................................. 125 7.9 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................. 127 8 STAGE 1 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ........................... 128 8.1 SUMMARY ..................................................................................................... 128 8.2 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................. 131 8.3 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................. 131 SEMMMS: A6 - M60 Relief Road Study WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Project No 70019764 Stage 1 Report iv FIGURES Figure 2-1: A6 - M60 Relief Road Northern Section ......................................................... 16 Figure 2-2: A6 - M60 Relief Road Southern Section ......................................................... 16 Figure 2-3: Scheme in Wider Context ............................................................................... 17 Figure 3-1: Extracted from GM Transport Strategy 2040 .................................................. 32 Figure 3-2: Main Commuting Flows 2011 ......................................................................... 34 Figure 3-3: The Proposed Key Route Network ................................................................. 41 Figure 4-1 Local Authority Boundaries .............................................................................. 52 Figure 4-2 Percentage Increase in Population (2013 To 2033) ........................................ 53 Figure 4-3 Percentage Increase in Housing Based on 2008 Data (2013 to 2033) ........... 55 Figure 4-4 Percentage in Housing Based on 2012 Data (2013 to 2033) .......................... 57 Figure 4-5 Summary of Local Trends ................................................................................ 60 Figure 4-6 Land Uses within Stockport MBC .................................................................... 61 Figure 4-7 Main Commuting Flows 2011 .......................................................................... 63 Figure 5-1 Areas of Significant Congestion and Delay ..................................................... 67 Figure 5-2 Change in Total Traffic on Major Roads 2000 - 2015 ...................................... 68 Figure 5-3 2008 Morning Peak Hour Observed Vehicle Speeds ...................................... 69 Figure 5-4 Stockport Morning Peak (08:00-09:00) Average Speed By Link – September 2013-August 2014 ........................................................................... 70 Figure 5-5 Stockport Off-Peak (10:00-16:00) Average Speed By Link – September 2013- August 2014 .................................................................................... 71 Figure 5-6 Stockport Evening Peak (17:00-18:00) Average Speed By Link – September 2013-August 2014 ........................................................................... 72 Figure 5-7 Stockport and GN Journey Time Profile 2011/12 For ‘A’ & ‘B; Roads ............ 73 Figure 5-8 Average Journey Times (Flow-Weighted) During the Weekday Morning Peak on Locally Managed 'A' Roads: Annually From 2006/07 ................ 74 Figure 5-9 Main Commuting Flows 2011 .......................................................................... 75 Figure 5-10 Routing of Westbound Traffic on the A6 – 2009 AM Peak ............................ 76 Figure 5-11 Road Injury Accidents in Stockport 2012-2014 ............................................. 78 Figure 5-12 Child and Adult Killed and Seriously Injured Road Accidents in Stockport 2012-2014 ......................................................................................