Summary
Improvements to Five-Mile Lane included in the LDP Deposit. This has raised concerns that the Welsh Government will direct traffic for the Cardiff Airport and St Athan through St Nicholas. The LDP Infrastructure Plan states: Five Mile Lane (A4266) Improvements 2.2.61 The A4266 (Five Mile Lane) connects Barry at the Waycock Cross roundabout with the Sycamore Cross junction on the A48, and comprises an essential part of the highway network leading to the Enterprise Zone. It provides an important north-south corridor within the Vale of Glamorgan however there are road safety issues due to the road alignment. The proposed Five Mile Lane Highway Improvements stem from the Welsh Government’s proposals to trunk the route to Cardiff Airport via Culverhouse Cross – Sycamore Cross – Five Mile Lane – Airport. 2.2.62 The Council has previously received a Principal Road Grant from the Welsh Government to advance the Five Mile Lane Highway Improvement Scheme, and to date this work has involved the signalisation of Sycamore Cross junction, as well as initial design and feasibility work together with various environmental assessments. Additional funding is required to complete the development and implementation of this scheme, with the Welsh Government having announced their commitment to the scheme. Future proposals will need to be the subject of formal Environmental Impact Assessment and, if approved, would improve highway safety, help reduce congestion and enhance access to Cardiff Airport and St Athan. In 2006, a Public Inquiry was held when the Welsh Government decided to Trunk the A48 and Five-Mile Lane to provide a new route from the M4 and Cardiff to Cardiff Airport. The recommendation of the public inquiry was to not trunk the A48 and Five-Mile Lane The reasons can be summed up as:
CONCLUSION "I consider that none of the four advantages of the proposed Trunking route identified by AG [Welsh Government] have been convincingly proven. However, I accept that there would be an overall environmental impact advantage arising from the proposed Trunking. As discussed above I see the disadvantages of the proposed Trunking as the likely increased risk of accidents as a result of additional traffic on Five Mile Lane and the uncertainty of duration of that increased risk. As a consequence, it may well be that negative perceptions that currently exist regarding CIA are not changed but that they become even more negative. Accordingly, I conclude that the advantages of the proposed Trunking do not outweigh the disadvantages and therefore this condition has not been met." MINISTER’S CONSIDERATION, DECISION AND NEXT STEPS "Five Mile Lane needs improving to enhance road safety, support development in the south of the Vale of Glamorgan and cater for projected Airport growth. However, the Minister acknowledges that the timing of improvements was a pivotal issue in the Report. The Assembly Government will now work with the Vale of Glamorgan Council to deliver the improvements using Principal Road Grant funding. In this way Cardiff International Airport will get improved access in the shortest time possible." In his report on trunking of the A48, the Inspector named six conditions relevant to the expediency criteria identified above, of which 4 failed to comply: Condition 1: There is a need for the proposed Trunking and that the
proposed Trunking would meet that need. "In my view, the need for the proposed Trunking has little to do with improving journey times or journey reliability to and from CIA as the direction of travel of airport travellers is mostly in the opposite direction to peak commuter flows [8.9]. Neither would the proposed Trunking resolve the congestion issues at Culverhouse Cross as this is not its purpose. The real need is to overcome the perceptions about the location of CIA and the type of services operated by CIA. As these perceptions have not been quantified, in my opinion, the need has not been demonstrated. Even if the perceptions and hence the need had been demonstrated, no evidence has been presented that the negative perceptions about CIA would be reversed as a result of the proposed. It could be that perceptions would become even more negative than they are at present. I conclude therefore that this condition has not been met." Condition 2: The proposed Trunking is appropriate and safe.
Condition 3: Resources would be
available within a
reasonable timescale to
implement the proposed Trunking.
Condition 4: The advantages of the proposed Trunking would outweigh any disadvantages. The Welsh Government gave four advantages of Trunking the A48 and
Five-Mile Lane. Trunking would:
The public inquiry found:
Further:
The Inspector found that the Welsh Government's proposal Complied in answering: Condition 5: The impact of the proposed Trunking on the local environment would be acceptable. "I accept that the proposed Trunking would have no significant environmental impact. On balance fewer people in St. Nicholas and Tre-hill would be affected by a small negative impact than would a greater number of people in North Barry who would be affected by a small positive impact. I conclude that this condition has been met." No conclusion - lack of evidence Condition 6: The proposed Trunking would represent the best available option and best value for money. The Welsh Government "presented only the proposed Trunking option to the inquiry; the only alternative is the Do Nothing scenario. The proposed Trunking results in an NPV of -£37.907M and an economic disbenefit of £46.49M over the 60 year assessment period. From the evidence presented by AG [Welsh Government], it is not possible for me to reach a conclusion on this condition."
The Inspector concludes: "Overall therefore, I conclude that the proposed Trunking is not expedient." |