Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/23/82) seeking approval for submission of Full Business Case, Contract Award and Construction in relation to Phase 3, Drumbridges to Newton Abbot Major Road Network Scheme, attached.

An Impact Assessment has been prepared for the attention of Members at the meeting and is also attached and available at A382 Improvement Scheme - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk).

RESOLVED

(a) that the submission of the Full Business Case for the A382 Drumbridges to Newton Abbot Major Road Network Scheme (“The Scheme”) to the Department for Transport (subject to satisfactory acquisition of the primary land areas required) be approved, with any changes agreed by the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport and Local Members for Newton Abbot North and Newton Abbot South;

(b) that the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport be given delegated authority to award the construction contract(s) for the works subject to project costs being within the overall budget of £56.76 million; and

(c) that the serving of compulsory purchase notices, taking possession of the land and the subsequent land acquisition together with the construction of The Scheme be approved, with any changes being agreed by the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, subject to confirmation of Department for Transport funding.

(Councillor Dewhirst attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered Report of the Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport (CET/23/82) which sought approval for the submission of Full Business Case, Contract Award and Construction in relation to Phase 3, Drumbridges to Newton Abbot Major Road Network Scheme. The Report had been circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The A382 was a key route connecting Newton Abbot at Churchills Roundabout with the A38 Strategic Road Network at Drumbridges Roundabout. The existing road between Drumbridges Roundabout and Forches Cross was of low standard with poor alignment, high traffic flows, poor safety record and no facilities for pedestrians or cyclists. Improvements were further required to support the large amount of housing and employment on the A382 corridor allocated and proposed in Local Plan documents. Improvements would need to meet the objectives of improving journey times and road safety and make provision for non-motorised users. The Scheme met these objectives that comprised of a combination of road widening, junction improvements and new provision for non-motorised users.

The improvements were being delivered in phases, determined by the deliverability of each section of the improvements in relation to land and funding. Phase 1 had been constructed (shown in Figure 1), Phase 2, also shown in Figure 1, comprised of a link between the A382 and A383 (Houghton Barton Link) and the first element of this had been constructed.

The Report was Phase 3 of the A382 Corridor Improvements (“The Scheme”) and the Scheme to be included in the FBC was comprised of the elements described in Table 1 and shown in Figure 1 of the Report (Drumbridges to Trago Mills Roundabout, Trago Mills Roundabout, Trago Mills Roundabout to Forches Cross, Forches Cross, Whitehill Cross, Whitehill Cross to West Golds Way and Whitehill Cross to Churchills Roundabout (Exeter Road)).

It was proposed to submit the Full Business Case in November 2023 (which outlined the strategic, commercial, management, economic and financial dimensions of The Scheme) and, pending approval from the Department for Transport, award the contract to the preferred contractor to build ‘The Scheme’.

Planning permission and critical orders for the compulsory purchase of land had been granted (although compulsory purchase orders for land at Greycoat Lane and for the new Golf Course access road had not yet been confirmed. The compulsory purchase order for the Jetty Marsh Link Road was also to be confirmed, but as the land had been acquired by DCC through negotiations this did not have any effect on Scheme delivery.).

The Report sought approval to serve notices to landowners, once the FBC had been approved and The Scheme had confirmed funding, to enter the land to construct The Scheme as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 418