APPENDIX F

A628 PROPOSALS

SPITS objective

The relevant SPITS objective is ‘to make best use of and improve the Highways Agency’s core road network in the South Pennines area.’

Projects

Relevant projects are as follows:

• Mottram-Tintwistle bypass. There have been a number of proposals in the past for a by-pass. The 1998 Trunk Road Review included the A628 (T) in the core trunk road network. During 1998, surveys of residents and visitors to the area found a high level of agreement with the bypass proposals. The scheme requires further assessment before inclusion in the trunk road programme, and revised objectives for the scheme were agreed at a Value Management Workshop in 1999. The Highways Agency is currently carrying out a further appraisal under the New Approach to Appraisal, with a view to Order publication stage in 2001/2002. This is therefore a ‘stand alone’ scheme, providing relief from existing traffic-related problems in the villages. In addition, however, the bypass will also facilitate traffic restraint measures elsewhere in the Peak District National Park as part of the whole SPITS package.
• Improvements between Tintwistle and Stocksbridge. A number of minor schemes have been implemented over this section, but there is a need for a comprehensive review in the light of SPITS predictions of traffic being diverted to this route from elsewhere. SPITS proposals include improving to a good quality single carriageway standard, with crawler lanes on severe gradients. It is now proposed that the exact nature of the ‘selected, limited improvements’ are devised following the Mottram-Tintwistle scheme, and in the light of knowledge gained from the application of pilot traffic restraint measures elsewhere, and also following the development of the Highways Agency’s Route Management Strategy for the A628, currently due 2003/2004.
• Environmental mitigation measures through the Woodhead Moors Special Protection Area (SPA). The SPITS proposal is to consider cut/cover tunnelling under the Woodhead Moors Special Protection Area. The Highways Agency’s consultants are currently investigating the concept of ‘green bridges’ as a means of minimising severance in ecologically sensitive areas, and the A628 route has been shortlisted as a potential pilot site for the study.

Please refer to Table 5 for the planned sequencing of traffic restraint and highways improvement measures.

Environmental issues

Any improvement to the A628 as a core trunk road will need to pay close attention to environmental issues due to its position within the Peak District National Park. The Peak District National Park Authority accepts the proposals to improve the A628 corridor on the understanding that environmental mitigation measures, combined with traffic restraint measures applied elsewhere, would ensure an overall benefit to the Park.

Benefits/disbenefits

The National Park Authority takes the view that in assessing the benefits/disbenefits to the National Park, socio-economic matters should be included as well as environmental issues. The Park’s primary purpose, however, is ‘conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Park,’ and if other purposes conflict with this, the conservation remit takes precedence.

Selected and limited improvements

The context of the nature of improvements is the long standing (since 1976) government policy that no new route (through a National Park) should be constructed, or existing route upgraded unless there is a compelling need that cannot be met by any reasonable alternative means.’ In examining alternative means, it has always been understood that this should involve examination of other modes and/or alternative routes avoiding the National Park. When the policy was first formulated, the government admitted that in certain cases, avoidance of transport infrastructure development in a National Park would be very difficult, and the Woodhead route was cited as one such case.

Since 1976, the NPA and its predecessor the Joint Planning Board, has always accepted that bypasses of the settlements at either end of the Woodhead route would be required, and that ‘selected and limited improvements’ to the route between the bypasses would also be needed. The nature of the improvements has never been fully assessed, but the expectation has been that this would include a good quality single carriageway, with crawler lanes on severe gradients.