Agenda item

Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/20/24) relating to Phase 2 of the Tiverton Eastern Urban (EUE) Access Junction, attached.

An Impact Assessment is also attached for the attention of Members at this meeting.

(Councillors Biederman, Connett, Hannaford and Slade attended remotely in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/20/24) relating to Phase 2 of the Tiverton Eastern Urban (EUE) Access Junction, 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 construct Phase 2 of the Tiverton EUE access

junction off the A361 to the East of Tiverton which would provide direct access to the Tiverton Eastern Urban Extension (EUE) and allow the full allocation of houses to come forward on the site.

The Tiverton EUE development site, Appendix 1, was included in Mid Devon’s Local Plan Review for up to 1830 dwellings and at least 30,000m² employment floorspace. This development had commenced, and the first dwellings were already occupied. The construction of Phase 1 of the A361 junction was completed in 2018 (westbound slip roads on the southern side of the A361) and Phase 2 would see the construction of an overbridge and eastbound slip roads on the northern side of the A361.

The Phase 2 scheme was shown in Appendix 2, plan C11017/68, and also included drainage and planting and would allow full movement to and from the new development and reduce the number of vehicles using the existing road network.

The A361 junction was included in Mid Devon District Council’s masterplan for the Tiverton EUE site and also their Local Plan Review. Both documents had been through two stages of public consultation including local exhibitions.

The cost of constructing the junction was estimated to be £10m which would be funded by Mid Devon District Council who had obtained £8.2m from Homes England’s Highways Infrastructure Fund, with the remaining funding coming from Mid Devon forward funding S106 contributions. The Council would be responsible for delivering the new junction, which would become part of the highway infrastructure, therefore needed to be included in the approved capital programme. As the Council would incur expenditure, regular claims to Mid Devon would be submitted for reimbursement.

An Environmental Impact Assessment had been carried out as part of the planning application for the junction and the development was considered to be located in a highly sustainable location.

The Head of Service’s Report also contained an Impact Assessment for the attention of Members at this meeting. This highlighted that some residents living close to the scheme could be slightly adversely impacted by increases in traffic noise and the visual impacts, however the scheme had been adapted to overcome objections previously raised including the construction of bunds and acoustic fences and additional tree planting to mitigate the potential adverse impacts on residents.

In summary, the scheme was expected to benefit and advance equality of opportunity for all people, including those with protected characteristics. However, some groups of people could benefit slightly less, for example younger and older people due to lower car use among those groups, although there was still expected to be a net benefit.

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

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

RESOLVED

(a) that Cabinet authorise the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment to negotiate and agree the terms of an agreement with Mid Devon District Council to fund the construction of Phase 2 of the Tiverton EUE access junction;

(b) that the junction design shown on drawing C11017/68 (attached to the Report – Appendix 2) be approved to go out to tender;

(c) that the scheme proceed to tender award and construction, subject to

the funding agreement (referred to in Recommendation (a)) being signed, and a plan to overcome the issue of the construction of the link road being in place;

(d) that the Chief Officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and

Waste, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure,

Development and Waste and Local Member, be given delegated authority to

make minor amendments to the scheme design and delivery programme; and

(e) that the enhancement of the 2020/21 and 2021/22 capital programme,

once the funding agreement has been signed, funded by external contributions, be approved.

(NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above may be viewed alongside Minutes of this meeting and may also be available on the Impact Assessment Webpages).