Agenda item

Joint report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, and Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste on Phase 1 of the A382 Corridor Improvements (PTE/19/29), attached.

An Impact Assessment is also attached for the attention of Members at this meeting and can also be found at https://www.devon.gov.uk/impact/a382

(Councillors Connett, Dewhirst, Hannaford and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Joint Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, and Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste on Phase 1 of the A382 Corridor Improvements (PTE/19/29), 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 Report sought approval to enable a contract to be awarded and to proceed with construction of Phase 1 of the A382 Corridor Improvement scheme from Drumbridges to Newton Abbot.  Phase 1 was between Forches Cross and Whitehill Cross on the edge of Newton Abbot and the scheme would improve access to Newton Abbot and the A38 by improving the A382 corridor which connected them.

The A382 was a key route but the existing road was of a low standard with poor alignment, high traffic flows, a poor safety record and no facilities for pedestrians or cyclists. In addition, Teignbridge District Council’s adopted Local Plan set out proposed residential and employment developments in the area between 2013 and 2033 which would result in significant traffic growth along the A382 corridor.

The proposal for Phase 1 was the realignment and widening of the A382 to 10 metres between Forches Cross and Whitehill Cross, a new roundabout at Ringslade Road and a shared pedestrian and cycle path along the A382 to provide additional capacity and improved journey times and reliability, improve safety and provide a high-quality facility for sustainable modes of transport from new developments in the future.

The estimated scheme cost of Phase 1 of the A382 Corridor Improvements was £13.05 million and the Report outlined the funding sources for the scheme.

The Report included details of the Environmental Impact Assessment which had been undertaken as part of the planning application, including issues such as biodiversity impacts, landscape, hedgerows and trees, grassland and all the mitigations planned.

The noise assessment considered the impacts of annoyance and disturbance associated with changes in the road traffic noise in terms of numbers of properties affected and mitigation measures of low noise road surface and acoustic fencing. The water environment impacts had also been assessed.

The Cabinet noted that the scheme would lead to positive social impacts, by benefitting all road users including bus users through improved journey time reliability and pedestrians and cyclists through the introduction of new facilities. The scheme would improve access to and from Newton Abbot resulting in a cost saving for new and existing residents. Economic, social and environmental wellbeing would be improved through better access to employment, education and recreational destinations. There was also an estimated saving in annual greenhouse gas emissions from road traffic in the wider geographic area of over 190 tonnes of CO2 in the first year after opening, and over 21,400 tonnes over 60 years, compared to the without scheme scenario. The Report also highlighted how the scheme would lead to an improvement in climate change resilience.

The Head of Service’s Report also incorporated an Impact Assessment for the attention of Members at this meeting (available at https://www.devon.gov.uk/impact/a382). This highlighted that the scheme would have a positive impact on pedestrians and cyclists with the provision of a new shared pedestrian/cycle path to enable sustainable travel in the future. In economic terms the scheme would facilitate travel and development which would have a beneficial impact upon the local economy. In summary, the scheme was expected to have a neutral impact on biodiversity; a slight adverse impact on landscape; neutral impact on historic environment; neutral impact on noise and air quality; positive impact on water environment; positive social impact; neutral impact on greenhouse gases; and a positive impact on climate change resilience and, therefore, no unmanageable impacts had been identified.

A monitoring and evaluation plan had been produced as part of the Business Case for the scheme which would review the impact of the scheme 1 year and 5 years after opening.

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability (including carbon impact), risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Chief Officer’s and Head of Service’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

it was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Hughes, and

RESOLVED that subject to land acquisition:

(a) the Phase 1 scheme layout as shown on drawing B11029/136 (attached to the Report at Appendix 2) be approved for construction;

(b) that the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, be given delegated authority to award the construction contract for Phase 1 of the A382 Corridor Improvement Scheme subject to the overall scheme cost being within a cost envelope of £13.05 million;

(c) the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member and Local Members, be given delegated authority to make minor amendments to the scheme design.

[NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above may be viewed alongside Minutes of this meeting and may also be available https://www.devon.gov.uk/impact/a382].