A419/A417 CIRENCESTER & STRATTON BYPASS ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT (W.. :-GIE~~yWAYS) TOLLGATE HOU~~CLASSIFIED HA 044/027/000585 1 ENVIRONMENT &LANDSCAPE Environmental Statement 1810412001 09:31:21 A419/A417 CIRENCESTER AND STRATTON BYPASS ENVIRONMENTAL STAT EMENT 12/91 ._... --- ,--- --- ,.,-- .,-- il ,-I. THE DEPARTMENT §. OF TRANSPORT I F RA N K Department of Transport I GRAHAM I I I Head office Shinfif!lo HOll:;~ Schnol Creel! I Shinfield Rt":ading Berkshire KC2 9fW TC"!k~phC)rle 073i 3U2Ln Fax U7:J4 HH.l274 I 1i.:I(!x fi,4R.f\,10 Gri.HTlpa G UK regional offices A419/A417 Cirencester & Stratton Bypass heter I 1.2 WJtC'!rbcC!r Str'N:1 (iuildh(lll Cl:mlre Exeter Environmental Statement Uevon F.X4 .1rt r I Telephone 03Y1. 4YU48 1-.1X ovn 4'12R4ti HerHord Gr.1ham HOIJ~(: Uecembcr 1991 I Y{~c.H1I(irl's Court Wilre i{oad HNlford se B 7NI Telephone ()992 SR7R48 I t-ax 09Q7. ')1:;"11312 Maidstone 6) College I{oad Mairl~ton(: Kent ME 1.1 bSX I IclC"!phune 0622 691441 fax U611 69144:~ ReadlnN- Shinf'ield House I School Cr(!c~n Office of Origin Shirl{ield Worcester Reading I:lerkshin~ RC) 91:W I Tc:lr:phoru:, 0734 HH2222 "IX 07:J4 HH.l274 MLJiDMT/9102/28 lelcx Fi41lfOO Gr~lmp.1 (j Wakefield I 6 SOlHh P<=I r k Wi.'lV Wokelield 41 HLJsill(!,% P(lrk WJ.keiiC!ld Wc·:::;! Yorkshire Wt-2 OXJ Telephone ()g24 ?90'IUi I h')x Og)4 3(i81J·6B Wo .. cester Elp,ar HOlJs(~ Shrub Ilill I W()n:.. ·(~ster WK4 9FN T~lephonc 09o.'-i (,"13910 I t-ilx' OQOj 6"13907 I Department of Transport South West Construction Programme Division I Tollgate House Hou\ton Street I Bristol I A419/A417 Cirenccstcr & Stratton Bypass I Environmental Statement I I CONTENTS I Page No. I 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 I 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION 2 3.0 I DESCRIPTION OF PUBLISHED SCHEME 9 I 4.0 MITIGATION MEASURES 12 5.0 I DATA ON ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 20 6.0 ALTERNATIVF.s CONSIDERED 22 I 7.0 CHOICE OF PUBLISHED SCHEME 24 I I I I I I I I I I • A419/A417 Circncester & Stratton Bypass I Environmental Statement I 1.0 IN'fRODUCTION (SEE J:;-JGURE 1) I 1.1 The A419/A417 Cirencester & Stralton Bypass forms part of the A419/A417 Trunk Road between Swindon and Gloucester providing an important link I between the M4 and the M5 Motorways; the National Roads Programme includes a number of improvement schemes on this route of which the A419/A417 I Cirencester & Stralton Bypass is an essential componcnt. I 1.2 Subject to satisfactory progress through the statutory procedures, construction of the Bypass is planned to begin in 1994, opening to traffic approximately 2 years I later. 1.3 This Environmental Statement summarises an assessment of the environmental I effects of the proposed scheme in accordance with sub-section 105A(2) of the Highways Act 1980 as added (0 by the Highways (Assessment of Environmental I Effects) Regulations 1988. This legislation implements, in respect of Trunk Roads, the provisions of the EC Directive on environmental assessment I (85/337/EEC) . I I I I I I I I I I 1 • A4191A417 Cirencester & Stratton Bypass I Environmental Statement I 2.0 SITE DESCRIPTION I 2.1 SETTLEMENTS I 2.1.1 The town of Cirencester and village of Slratton lie in South Gloucestershire, not far from the county boundary with Wiltshire. The town of Cirencester dates from I Roman times when it was known as Corinium; during this period it was second in importance only to Londinium. It lies at the intersection of three major Roman roads: Foss Way, Akeman Street and Ermin Way; the latter of these now forms I the A419/ A417 Trunk Road corridor. I 2.1.2 Since Roman times, Cirencester developed as a medieval market town and was dominated by the Augustinian Abbey of St Mary. Following the dissolution of I the monasteries the town developed as the' centre of the Cotswolds wool trade. Today, Cirencester is the largest settlement in the Cotswolds with a population I which has increased from 12,000 in 1961 to over 16,000 in 1981 and has become the principal service, shopping and employment centre for the area. The historic centre of the town is bounded to the north "east by the existing Trunk Road; I however, the town has expanded to the north-east to include the mainly residential areas of New Mills, KingshiIl and the Beeches, the majority of which were I constructed betwccn 1945 and 1964. The main hospital serving this area of South Gloucestershire is situated in an area known as 'The Querns' adjacent to A419 I Tetbury Road. Two large schools are located on opposite sides of the town, outside the historic centre; Kingshill School is located on Kingshill Lane to the I east of the town whilst the Decr Park School is situated to the west of the town. Light industry is centred to the south of the town centre in the Love Lane Industrial Estate. To the west of the town lies Cirencestcr Park which has a grade I 1 listing in English Heritage's Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Histori.c I Interest. 2.1.3 The village of Stratton lies betwccn the existing Trunk Road and A435 I Cheltenham Road, approximately 2 km north of the centre of Cirencestcr. Since the second World War the village has expanded and now occupies the majority of I the tri.angle of land betwcen A417(T) Gloucester Road, A435 Cheltenham Road and Baunton Lane. I I 2 I • A419/A417 Cirencester & Stratton Bypass I Environmental Statement I 2.1.4 There are a number of small villages surrounding the main CirencesterlStratton development. Preston, Harnhill, Driffi.eld, Siddington and South Cemey lie to the I south and east of the town. Baunton, Perrolt's Brook and Bagendon lie to the I north and Daglingworth lies to the north-west. 2.2 ROAD NETWORK (SEE FTGURE 2) I 2.2.1 A partial Trunk Road improvement around the historic centre of Cirencester was constructed some years ago. This removed most of the through traffic from the I town centre but provided no traffic relief for Stratton and Bowling Green. The A4191A417 Trunk Roads around the historic centre of Cirencester and through the I village of Stratton run in a north-westlsouth-east direction; together they form an important link between the M5 near Gloucester and the M4 at Swindon. Trunk I road traffic volumes in the immediate area around Cirencester and Slratton are significantly higher than volumes to the north and south of the area. Between I London Road and Gloucester Street the Trunk Road runs in close proximity to Cirencester town centre and although the volume of through traffic in the town centre is relatively low, lengthy queues occur during peak periods at the Spitalgate I Lane traffic signal junction and at London Road Roundabout. This is directly attributable to the inter-relationship between trunk road traffic and local traffic. I Spitalgate Lane Junction in particular causes queues to extend southwards to London Road Roundabout and northwards to Cheltenham Road Junction during I the peak peri.ods. The traffic volume between Spitalgate Lane and Cheltenham Road junctions is 23,600 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) 1991. I Approximately 10% of this flow is made up of heavy goods vehicles. 2.2.2 The Trunk Road varies in standard as it passes through the area. Through Stratton I the A417(T) is single carriageway with footways on both sides and is subject to a 40mph speed limit. There are a number of junctions with side roads and accesses I to the many properties which lie adjacent to the road through the village. From this point the Trunk Road continues across the River Chum at Gloucester Street I Bridge before passing between residential property and an area of Public Open Space at Abbey Way. At the Spitalgate Lane traffic signal junction, through I traffic on the Trunk Road is confined to a single lane in each direction. South of this junction, the Trunk Road becomes dual carriageway and continues to the I London Road roundabout which marks the end of the 40mph speed limit. I 3 I I A419/A417 Cirencester & Stranon Bypass I Environmental Statement I Beyond London Road Roundabout the dual carriageway continues south between Cirencester town centre and 'The Beeches' residential area to the Watermoor I Roundabout, beyond which it continues to the Preston Toll Bar junction. Between London Road Roundabout and Preston Toll Bar there are no minor road junctions I or accesses and the national speed limit of 70mph applies. South of Preston Toll Bar junction the central reservation terminates and the A419(T) tapers from dual I to single carriageway. 2.2.3 There are several other major roads in the area all of which are single I carriageway. These include the A435 Cirencester to Cheltenham Road, A429 Cirencester to Stow Road and the A417 London Road which rons from I Cirencester to Fairford. Connections between these roads and the villages and hamlets are provided by numerous, generally narrow, low standard Class 3 and I Class 4 roads. I 2.3 LAND USE 2.3.1 With the exception of the urban areas of Cirencester and Stratton, the land in the I area is generally used for agriculture; this is mainly arable although small areas of pasture do exist. There are three major landholdings in the area: the Abbey I Estate and Baunton Trost which comprises land to the north and east of Cirencester, the Bathurst Estate (including Cirencester Park) which comprises land I to the north and west of Cirenccster and Stratton, and the Duchy of Cornwall comprising land to the north-west of Strallon which is centred around the village I of Daglingworth.