EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Transcription

1 THE LONDON TO FISHGUARD TRUNK ROAD (A40) (PENBLEWIN TO SLEBECH PARK IMPROVEMENT) ORDER 200- AND THE LONDON TO FISHGUARD TRUNK ROAD (A40) (PENBLEWIN TO SLEBECH PARK IMPROVEMENT SIDE ROADS) ORDER INTRODUCTION EXPLANATORY STATEMENT The National Assembly for Wales has published proposals for improvements to the A40 Trunk Road between Penblewin and Slebech Park in the County of Pembrokeshire. Improvements have recently been carried out at Redstone Cross junction, and it is considered that no further improvements are currently needed between Penblewin and Flimstone Lane. The improved section would therefore commence at a point just west of Flimstone Lane and extend to a point just west of Toch Lane, close to the north eastern limits of Slebech Park. The published proposals will comprise: (a) the draft Line Order to construct the new road along the line shown on the Plan (b) the draft Side Roads Order to stop up lengths of superseded trunk road and to stop up, improve or alter other roads, footpaths and other private accesses. (c) the draft Compulsory Purchase Order, to be published 4 weeks after the above two draft Orders, which provides for the acquisition of all the land and rights required for the construction and maintenance of the new trunk road and it's associated side road proposal. An Environmental Statement has been prepared in association with the above Orders and is available for inspection. Subject to the satisfactory completion of the statutory procedures and the design and the availability of finance, construction of the scheme should commence in December Construction is expected to take about two years The bypass of Robeston Wathen, which forms part of the proposals, would follow the line of the Preferred Route announced by the Secretary of State for Wales in CONSULTATION The Secretary of State for Wales announced in1996 his decision to protect for planning purposes a route for the bypass of Robeston Wathen. This followed a formal Public Consultation Exercise in1994, during which the views of local authorities, environmental and conservation bodies, statutory undertakers, local interest groups, local residents and other interested parties were sought. There was general support for the need for a bypass and for the route that was subsequently announced as the Preferred Route. The scheme was also presented at an exhibition in the Robeston Wathen Village Hall after the announcement of the 2004 Supplement to the TRFP and prior to inviting tenders for a design and build type contract. Since then there has been extensive consultation with stakeholders during the design and build contractor's investigation and design work in preparing the draft Orders and the Environmental Statement. 3. EXISTING CONDITIONS The section of the A40 between Penblewin and Slebech Park exhibits the following problems: community severance from trunk road traffic through Robeston Wathen a lack of adequate safe overtaking opportunity on the A40 between Pengawse Hill and Haverfordwest a large number of private accesses onto the trunk road a high number of personal injury accidents on the trunk road particularly at the A4075 junction near Canaston Bridge a lack of facility for non-motorised road users to cross the trunk road and Eastern Cleddau river near

2 Canaston Bridge. a sub-standard alignment of the trunk road through Robeston Wathen. journey time variability due to the above. The Assembly considers that these problems would be best addressed by a road improvement and a bypass for Robeston Wathen, which would improve the quality of life for the village community, improve safety for all road users and improve journey time reliability. 4. THE NEED FOR THE SCHEME The A40 trunk road, together with the A48, A477 and M4 motorway forms part of the Trans European Network-Transport (TEN-T) in South West Wales and it is a strategically important link between the national motorway network and the port of Fishguard forming a land bridge between the Republic of Ireland and mainland Europe. However, the A40 in West Wales forms the lowest standard section of the TEN-T in the United Kingdom. A multi-modal study carried out in concluded that the A40 trunk road west of St Clears needed improvement. An assessment and appraisal of route corridors between St Clears and Fishguard was undertaken and concluded that improvements broadly within or near to the existing road corridor would best meet the scheme objectives. A further study, to determine whether any improvements should be to single or dual carriageway standards, concluded in August 2004 that there was no economic justification for up-grading to dual carriageway standard at the present time. However it was noted that if present traffic growth continued then there was likely to be a need for upgrading to dual standard in the future, but not before about In December 2004, the Assembly Minister for Economic Development and Transport announced, with the publication of the 2004 Supplement to the 2002 Trunk Road Forward Programme (TRFP), that two schemes for improving the A40 had been included in the programme. These were the A40 Penblewin - Slebech Park Improvement and the A40 Llanddewi Velfrey - Penblewin Improvement, both of which could be ready to start by April SCHEME OBJECTIVES The specific objectives for the scheme have been determined as follows; (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) provide a single carriageway improvement with safe overtaking opportunity in both eastbound and westbound directions, in accordance with DMRB criteria; design the single carriageway improvement so that any future upgrade to dual carriageway standard is not inhibited and could be constructed with the minimum of alteration; ensure that the design and construction is undertaken so that the net impact on the environment is minimised; provide a residual pavement life of 40 years for new pavements and 20 years for existing pavement excluding sections of de-trunked road; utilise innovative design and sustainable construction methods to optimise cost effectiveness (including whole life costs) and minimise the impact on the local and the travelling public during construction; conserve and where practicable enhance the existing rural landscape character of the route corridor; and conserve and where practicable enhance biodiversity within the highway corridor, in accordance with Trunk Road Biodiversity Action Plan (TREBAP) In addition the Assembly required that the scheme should achieve the above objectives at an affordable cost, with close co-operation with the contractor, his designer and others in the supply chain. The scheme should provide best and whole life value and be delivered on time, subject to the constraints of the statutory process. 6. THE PROPOSED SCHEME The scheme comprises; (a) a single carriageway bypass to the south of Robeston Wathen from a junction with the B4314 county road at the east of the village and a new junction with the A4075 to the west of the smaller community of Robeston Back; (b) a new roundabout at the junction of the bypass with the B4314 providing a link to the B4314 south to Narberth, a link northwards to Robeston Wathen and a two lane link to tie-in to the existing A40 east of

3 the roundabout; (c) a new roundabout junction with the A4075 with a southward link to the existing A4075 south of Canaston Cottage, a northward link to the de-trunked A40 to Robeston Wathen and a westward link to carry the realigned A40 over the Eastern Cleddau via a new river bridge; (d) the closure of the existing junction of the unclassified county road to Llawhaden and a new link utilising the existing Canaston Bridge connecting the unclassified road to the A4075 roundabout s northern link at a simple T-junction; (e) a new bridge, located just south of the existing Canaston Bridge, to carry the new trunk road over a navigable section of the Eastern Cleddau. The river will remain navigable to the limited type of craft that can access this section of the river currently. Authority to construct a new bridge over this section of the river is being sought under Section 106 of the Highways Act 1980; (f) new underpasses either side of the new river bridge to facilitate movements across the new trunk road and river for non-motorised road users; (g) a new structure to facilitate and retain public access along Woodford Lane and a new retaining wall to avoid encroaching into Sunnyside Wood. (h) a new bridge to carry the new A4075 link over Narberth Brook and a number of culverts to maintain the flow of existing watercourses beneath the new road, some of which would be oversized to allow protected species of fauna to cross beneath the new road; (i) low intensity street lighting at the two new roundabouts; (j) the provision of an eastbound overtaking lane from the new A4075 roundabout to the new B4314 roundabout; (k) the provision of a westbound overtaking lane from the new A4075 roundabout to Toch Lane by widening the existing carriageway mostly on the northern side; (I) a new junction arrangement at Toch Lane and High Toch Farm; (m) stopping up of a number of direct access points onto the trunk road and provision of suitable alternative means of access, sometimes designated as shared private means of access; (n) the provision of a carriageway drainage system discharging to existing tributaries of the Narberth and Toch Brooks and to the Eastern Cleddau, downstream of the existing river water intake. Where required by the Environment Agency the discharges to watercourses would be preceded by attenuation and I or treatment lagoons and in some cases hydrocarbon interceptors.; (o) The provision of associated road marking, signs and street furniture and maintenance vehicle hardstandings; (p) the provision of the mitigation measures described in the Environmental Statement; (q) the provision of alternative means of access to replace stopped up access points all as described in the draft Side Roads Order; (r) the implementation of temporary traffic management controls, including a temporary closure of Woodford Lane,, which will be for as short a period of time as possible, but may extend for a maximum period of 6 months. This will be necessary to facilitate construction of the structure referred to in (g) above. 7. PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS A public consultation exercise into alternative routes for a bypass of Robeston Wathen was held in This presented two alternatives - the Red Route and the Blue Route. In 1996 a modified Red Route was announced by the Secretary of State for Wales as the Preferred Route. Proposals incorporating the previously announced Preferred Route plus further on-line improvements of the existing A40 Trunk Road were exhibited at a Public Exhibition held at Robeston Wathen Village Hall, Robeston Wathen, Pembrokeshire on 16 and 17 March The route currently covered by the draft Orders incorporates a slightly modified version of this route. 8. THE DRAFT ORDERS The Assembly does not require planning permission to carry out the proposed scheme. The powers to construct the new sections of trunk road and to de-trunk parts of the trunk road and construct a new bridge over the Eastern Cleddau (a navigable waterway) as part of the proposed scheme, would be obtained

4 through the "The London to Fishguard Trunk Road (A40) (Penblewin to Slebech Park Improvement) Order 200-" now published in draft. The Assembly is empowered as Highway Authority to undertake improvement to the existing trunk road under Section 62 of the Highways Act The power to stop up, alter, improve highways, footpaths and private means of access and to construct new highways, public footpaths and private means of access would be obtained through the 'The London to Fishguard Trunk Road (A40) (Penblewin to Slebech Park Improvement Side Roads) Order 200-" now published in draft. A draft Compulsory Purchase Order will be published shortly and this will enable the National Assembly for Wales to acquire the land and rights over land, necessary for the proposals. Copies of the draft Orders, accompanying maps, the Environmental Statement, Non-technical Summary and the Determination Notice may be inspected, free of charge during normal working hours at any of the following deposit points: (a) (b) (c) Transport Wales, Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ Pembrokeshire County Council, County Hall, Haverfordwest, SA61 1TP Queens Hall, High Street, Narberth, Pembs, SA67 7AS Copies of the deposit documents will be also available for inspection at Robeston Wathen Village Hall, Robeston Wathen, Pembrokeshire on the following days and times: Wednesday 10 January pm - 8pm Wednesday 17 January am to 7.30pm Thursday 18 January am to 7.30pm. Wednesday 24 January pm - 8pm Additional copies of the Non-technical Summary (NTS) may be obtained from any of the above venues. 9. LODGING OBJECTIONS TO THE DRAFT ORDERS Any person wishing to comment on, support or object to these draft Orders may do so, not later than 31 January 2007 or within 7 weeks from the date of publication of this Notice, if such period shall expire later, by writing to TP&A Division 3, Transport Wales, Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ, quoting Reference No ZB and stating the grounds of the objection. In the preparation of an objection and the statement of the grounds of the objection, it should be borne in mind that the substance of any objection or representation may be communicated to other people who may be affected by it. 10. DECISION PROCESS The decision as to whether or not to proceed to make the Line and Side Roads Orders, will be reached after taking account of any objections or representations made to it and the related Compulsory Purchase Order. If statutory objections remain then this may necessitate the holding of a Public Local Inquiry before an independent Inspector. The Inspector would then report his findings and make recommendations to the Assembly Government who would then reach a decision as to whether the Orders should be made.

5