HC Deb 29 October 1999 vol 336 cc995-7W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what date the Highways Agency agreed to postpone the widening of the A1 Western Bypass between North Gosforth and Ponteland Road interchanges consequent upon the development of the Northern Development Area, Newcastle; who were the parties to this agreement; and what size of development will be permitted prior to widening. [95862]

Mr. Hill

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 29 October 1999: The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question. You asked "on what date the Highways Agency agreed to postpone the widening of the A1 Western Bypass between North Gosforth and Ponteland Road interchanges consequent upon the development of the Northern Development Area; who were the parties to this agreement; and what size of development will now be permitted prior to widening". The only widening of the A1 between North Gosforth and Ponteland Road that the Highways Agency has considered is as a consequence of the development proposals for the Northern Development Area. If the development had been granted planning permission, the timing of the widening would have depended on the implementation of the development. No decision has been made on this; it would have been the subject of discussion and agreement with the developer had planning permission been granted. The application for the Northern Development Area was withdrawn on 3 September 1999. A new application was submitted on the same day for Newcastle Great Park that proposes similar improvements to the A1 Trunk Road.

Traffic data for the A1 around Newcastle
Projected figures
Road Location AADT 1995 AADT 1997 (%) AADT 1998 (%) AADT 1999 AADT 2002 AADT 2005 AADT 2010
A1 Bowes PH, W of A1M Bifurcation 89,600 93,000(9) 93,600(10) 95,200 100,100 105,100 113,200
A1 North of Smithy Lane Overbridge 80,100 83,800(−) 84,600(9) 86,100 90,400 95,000 102,300
A1 Northwest of Lady Park 79,700 82,100(10) 82,600(9) 84,000 88,300 92,800 99,900
A1 Northwest of Lobley Hill I/C 97,700 101,500(9) 103,400(10) 105,200 110,500 116,100 125,000
A1 Northwest of Consett Route I/C 92,400 94,500(9) 94,600 96,200 101,100 106,200 114,400
A1 Metro Centre, East of I/C 79,800 80,800(10) 81,200 82,600 86,800 91,200 98,200
A1 North of Blaydon Bridge 75,600 81,700(9) 83,000(9) 84,400 88,700 93,200 100,300
A1 North of A69 Interchange 72,900 79,200(8) 81,000(8) 82,400 86,600 91,000 97,900
A1 South of Ponteland Road Interchange 68,100 73,400(9) 76,000 77,300 81,300 85,300 91,900
A1 South of Brunton Lane Overbridge 52,800 57,000(8) 59,100(8) 60,100 63,200 66,400 71,500
A1 North of Ponteland Road Interchange 57,800 61,200(−) 63,300(6) 64,400 67,700 71,100 76,500

A new traffic impact assessment has been produced and is currently with the Agency for consideration. As part of those considerations, the size of the development that will be permitted prior to widening will be discussed.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what were the traffic flows along the A1 Western Bypass of Newcastle and Gateshead at(a) the Metrocentre interchange, (b) the Tyne River crossing, (c) the Ponteland Road interchange and (d) the North Gosforth interchange in (i) 1995, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1998 and (iv) 1999; and what flows are projected for (1) 2002, (2) 2005 and (3) 2010 (x) with and (y) without, the development of the Northern Development Area, Newcastle. [95876]

Mr. Hill

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 29 October 1999: The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question. You asked for the traffic flows along the A1 Western Bypass of Newcastle and Gateshead from the Metro Centre to North Gosforth, including the Tyne Crossing. The attached table, Annex A, sets out the information you requested at the locations where we have traffic counters for the years 1995, 1997, 1998 and 1999 together with projected flows for the years 2002, 2005 and 2010 without the development of Northern Development Area, Newcastle. A copy of the traffic flows with and without the development for Northern Development Area at assessment year 2013 at Annex B has been placed in the library. In considering planning applications, developers are only required to assess traffic flows for 15 years after the development is brought into use (the assessment year). We do not therefore have the figures for intermediate years. You will note that these are peak hour flows as these are the flows we have used in making our assessment. As you may be aware, the application for Northern Development Area was withdrawn on 3 September 1999 and a new application submitted on the same day for Newcastle Great Park that proposes similar improvements to the A1 Trunk Road. A new traffic impact assessment has been produced and is currently with the Highways Agency for consideration. We have asked for more traffic-forecast information from the developer with a revised date of opening of 2000 with the assessment year of 2015. Our initial impression is that the traffic impact will be different from the Northern Development Area application, but until we have this further information and have studied it, we cannot be sure. I am sorry therefore that we do not yet have the information that you have requested in relation to the Newcastle Great Park development.

Traffic data for the A1 around Newcastle
Projected figures
Road Location AADT 1995 AADT 1997(%) AADT 1998(%) AADT 1999 AADT 2002 AADT 2005 AADT 2010
A1 South of A19 Interchange, Hazelrigg 41,900 40,500(8) 47,700 48,500 51,000 53,600 57,700
A1 North of Seaton Burn Interchange 26,900 28,400(6) 27,800(10) 28,300 29,700 31,200 33,600
A1 North of A197, Morpeth 17,000 18,600(11) 18,800(15) 19,100 20,100 21,100 22,700

Key:

AADT—Annual Average Daily Traffic

Source of Percentage Increases:

The COBA Manual Table 10/1 September 1996—LGNRTF