A19/A1058 Coast Road improvements take a step forward - Public can submit representations to the Planning Inspectorate
The draft Development Consent Order (DCO) Application for the proposed A19/A1058 Coast Road junction improvements in North Tyneside have been accepted by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State on 3 December 2014. The DCO Application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 14 November 2014.
The Highways Agency received 124 responses during a formal consultation on the A19/A1058 Coast Road Improvement scheme last year, and several changes have been made to the proposal as a result.
The Application for the scheme will now be examined by the Planning Inspectorate. From 16 December 2014 members of the public can submit their comments on the proposals directly to the Planning Inspectorate at http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/north-east/a19a1058-coast-road-junction-improvement/ as part of the examination process. The deadline to register comments is 23 January 2015. If the order is granted, then work at the junction could start in spring/summer 2016.
Highways Agency project manager, Guy Lewis, said:
The Coast Road junction currently suffers severe congestion at peak times and there are significant delays on a weekend due to traffic accessing the Silverlink Retail Park adjacent to the junction. This scheme will improve journey times and increase the capacity around the junction, also improving safety for both road users and non-motorised users. Once completed the junction improvements will also support regeneration in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.
The scheme is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) as defined by the Planning Act 2008 and as such requires a Development Consent Order to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in order for the proposals to be constructed. A pre-application consultation took place between November 2013 and January 2014. This also included an exhibition which took place in November 2013.
Several changes have been made to the scheme, which is expected to cost between £88million and £126million, as a result of last year’s eight-week consultation. These include the provision of two footbridges across the A1058 Coast Road slip roads to provide enhanced pedestrian/cycling facilities and support future plans for the A1058 Coast Road as a national cycle route; provision of two new bus laybys on the A19 to support aspirations for future bus services on the route; provision of a higher/wider structure through the Middle Engine Lane Railway Bridge to address concerns raised about safety and visibility; provision of a pedestrian footpath from the existing bus stop on the A1058 Coast Road slip road and adjacent to the A19 southbound carriageway to provide better access to the Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate; and the provision of enhanced signing on the A19 to the Port of Tyne and Tyne Tunnel. More details on the scheme are available on the Highways Agency’s website.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways Agency press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.