Agenda item

Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/21/23) seeking approval to progress a planning application for the provision of a new link road between Elm Grove Road and the A379 Exeter Road, attached.

An Impact Assessment is also attached for the attention of Members at this meeting, but also available on the website - Dawlish DA2 Infrastructure Delivery - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk).

RESOLVED

(a) that approval be granted for a scheme in Dawlish connecting Elm Grove Road and the A379 Exeter Road, including provision for cycle lanes and footpaths, as identified in the Local Plan, to proceed towards securing planning consent;

(b) that subject to planning consent, approval be given, if necessary, for DCC to acquire land through negotiation and/or Compulsory Purchase Order powers;

(c) that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, in consultation with the County Treasurer, to enter into any necessary funding agreements to undertake the planning and land acquisition; and

(d) that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, in consultation with the Local Member and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport to make minor amendments to the scheme design.

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

(Councillor Connett declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being Leader of Teignbridge District Council).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment (PTE/21/23) which sought approval to progress a planning application for the provision of a new link road between Elm Grove Road and the A379 Exeter Road. 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 proposal for a link road would support bus services, cycle lanes and footpaths. The scheme and associated development of approximately 860 dwellings was allocated in the Teignbridge Local Plan for Dawlish located North West of Secmaton Lane (DA2) and the desired outcome was to ensure viability of the allocated housing development through the delivery of necessary transport infrastructure.

In order to address viability issues in the allocation, Teignbridge District Council had secured £4.9m of funding from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund  - Marginal Viability Fund towards delivery of the new link road including a bridge over the Shutterton Brook (see Figure 1 of the Report).

The Report highlighted there had been a refusal of planning permission for 201 dwellings in Area 3 (shown in Figure 2 of the Report) and the landowner of Area 3 had written to advise they no longer wished to proceed with the development or infrastructure on their land. Area 3 was required for the bridge and link road, therefore it was proposed to progress the planning application of the Link Road and bridge and work with Teignbridge District Council to acquire all the land corridor required to build the road and bridge.

Both Councils would undertake land negotiations with all the landowners, including Area 3, with the aim of securing a land agreement or the purchase of the land required to deliver the infrastructure works. If negotiations failed, it was proposed that a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) be considered.

The Report highlighted the environmental impact of the proposal in that the link road and bridge infrastructure would reduce the traffic impact on local residential roads including Elm Grove Road. The link road would also help reduce emissions by providing better opportunities for active travel, public transport and possibly some marginal reduction in some car journey lengths.

In progressing the scheme, an Impact Assessment had been prepared which has been circulated separately to the Cabinet and was also available alongside this Report on the Council’s website at: Dawlish DA2 Infrastructure Delivery - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk).

The new link road would be designed to provide a convenient and safe alternative for all motorised and non-motorised travel facilities, as well as supporting bus travel. There were some detailed environmental issues to be investigated, particularly with regard the bridge over the Shutterton Brook which would be addressed and mitigated as part of the planning application.  The delivery of the link road would reduce carbon emission from motorised traffic and would aim to have positive net gain in bio-diversity.

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 Head of Service’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

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

RESOLVED

(a) that approval be granted for a scheme in Dawlish connecting Elm Grove Road and the A379 Exeter Road, including provision for cycle lanes and footpaths, as identified in the Local Plan, to proceed towards securing planning consent;

(b) that subject to planning consent, approval be given, if necessary, for DCC to acquire land through negotiation and/or Compulsory Purchase Order powers;

(c) that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, in consultation with the County Treasurer, to enter into any necessary funding agreements to undertake the planning and land acquisition; and

(d) that delegated authority be given to the Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, in consultation with the Local Member and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport 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 on the Impact Assessment Webpages).