A12 Chelmsford to A120 - Widening Scheme

A12 Chelmsford to A120 widening scheme SECTIONS 93 and 94 OF THE PLANNING ACT 2008

RULE 13(6) OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING (EXAMINATION PROCEDURE) RULES 2010

NOTICE OF OPEN FLOOR HEARINGS RELATING TO THE A12 Chelmsford to A120

PLANNING INSPECTORATE REFERENCE: TR010060

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, at the dates, times and locations set out below open floor hearings will be held by the Examining Authority (appointed by the Secretary of State for the examination of the application made by National Highways for a Development Consent Order ("the DCO") for the A12 Chelmsford to A120 widening scheme ("the Application").

The Application was made to the Secretary of State (via the Planning Inspectorate) under sections 14 (1)(f) and (h), 20, 22 (1)(b) of the Planning Act 2008 on 15 August 2022 and was accepted by the Planning Inspectorate for examination on 12 September 2022. The Application has been given the Planning Inspectorate reference number TR010060.

SUMMARY OF THE SCHEME

The DCO would authorise a nationally significant infrastructure project ("NSIP") for the alteration of an existing highway. The Application proposes the widening of the existing A12 in Essex to three lanes throughout in each direction between junctions 19 (Boreham Interchange) and 25 (Marks Tey), where it is not already three lanes. This would mainly involve online widening of the existing carriageway, together with new offline highway created between junctions 22 and 23 (Rivenhall End Bypass) and between junctions 24 and 25 (Kelvedon to Marks Tey). It would be accompanied by junction improvements (junctions 19 and 25), construction of new junctions catering for traffic movements both north and southbound (new junctions 21 and 22 at Hatfield Peverel and 24 at Kelvedon), and removal of existing junctions 20a, 20b and 23. The proposals include the diversion and alteration of a high pressure gas main, east of Witham, that is an NSIP in its own right. The DCO would permit the compulsory acquisition of land, interests in land and rights over land, and the powers to use land permanently and temporarily for the construction, operation and

maintenance of the scheme.

The DCO would make provision for several associated and ancillary matters, including the following:

• Improvements to existing local roads, including Kelvedon Road, Inworth;

• Drainage and attenuation ponds;

• New bridges over the A12;

• Improvements to the cycling footpath and bridleway network;

• Detrunking of sections of the existing A12 at Rivenhall End and between Kelvedon and Marks Tey;

• Alteration, creation, extinguishment or suspension of highways;

• Creation, stopping up and alteration of accesses to highways;

• Traffic regulation measures; diversion and alteration of existing above ground cables;

• Removal, disposal, replacement or re-siting of pipes, cables, conduits and apparatus;

• Removal of trees, hedgerows and vegetation;

• Operation and management of the A12;

• Discharge of waters into inland waters or underground strata;

• Creation of borrow pits to provide aggregates for constructing the scheme;

• Disapplication of byelaws and local legislation; and

• acquisition and use of open space land and provision of replacement land.

HEARINGS

The Examining Authority’s Rule 6 letter contains a draft programme for the examination of the Application which is scheduled to start January 2023. The Rule 6 letter also notifies the Applicant and interested parties of the open floor hearings that will be held on the dates, times and locations set out in the table below.

Date

Hearing Type

Start Time

Place

Thursday 12th January 2023

Open Floor Hearing 1

Seating available at venue from: 1:30 Virtual Arrangements

Conference from: 1:30 Hearing starts: 2:00pm

Witham Public Hall, Collingwood Rd, Witham CM8 2DY and by virtual means using Microsoft

Teams Full instructions on how to join online or by telephone will be provided in advance to those who have pre-registered

Thursday

12 January 2023

Open Floor

Hearing 2

S

eating available at venue from:

6:00 Virtual Arrangements

Conference from: 6:00

Hearing starts: 6:30pm

Witham Public Hall, Collingwood Rd, Witham CM8 2DY and by virtual means using Microsoft

Teams Full instructions on how to join online or by telephone will be provided in advance to those who have pre-registered

The hearing venues above will be open to the public half an hour before the start of the hearings.

PARTICIPATING IN ONE OF THE ABOVE HEARINGS

The Hearings will be simultaneously held virtually via Microsoft Teams and in person at the venue above. Therefore, it will be possible for those who have registered to participate in the examination to participate in the hearings in person at the above venue or virtually. If you have not registered to participate in the examination, you can attend the venue and view the proceedings or follow the proceedings online via the Planning Inspectorate’s project page (https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/eastern/a12-chelmsford-to-a120-widening-scheme/).

The Planning Inspectorate Case Team will provide those who have confirmed that they intend to participate virtually with a web address and/or telephone number in order to allow access to the hearing via a tablet or computer connected to the internet and/or by telephone. All virtual

participants will be required to attend an Arrangements Conference before each hearing session. The Arrangements Conference will be hosted by the Planning Inspectorate’s Case Team. The Conference will start 30 minutes before the start of each hearing session. This will provide

the Case Team with sufficient time to admit those participating virtually into the hearing. If you are participating in person, please arrive at the above venue in good time to ensure that the hearings run in a timely manner. If you have registered to participate in the examination and you wish to speak at one of the above hearings, you must notify the Planning Inspectorate’s Case Team via email (a12chelmsforda120@planninginspectorate.gov.uk) or telephone (0303 444 5000) by the deadline date in the Rule 6 letter. The Rule 6 letter provides further information on the above hearings and is available to download via the following hyperlink:

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CANCELLATION OF A HEARING

If any of the above hearings are cancelled, reasonable notice will be provided of the Planning Inspectorate’s decision to cancel a hearing by posting a banner on the Planning Inspectorate’s project page (

).

ANY FURTHER HEARINGS

Any hearings further to those listed above will be advertised by one or more further notices. In accordance with Rule 13(3) of Infrastructure Planning (Examination Procedure) Rules 2010, as amended, the Planning Inspectorate will also notify interested parties of the date, time and place fixed for each hearing.

For more information on these hearings, the examination of the Application and full timetable (and any amendments to it), including how and when to register to speak at the hearings and how and when to make written submissions, please contact the Planning Inspectorate using the details below, or visit its website where procedural decisions and notices of hearings are available to download.

https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/eastern/a12-chelmsford-to-a120-widening-scheme/

Additional information about DCO hearings and examination procedure is included in the Planning Inspectorate’s Advice Note 8 which can be accessed via the following link:

. If you intend to participate virtually at one of the hearings held during this Examination, please read the Planning Inspectorate’s Advice Note 8.6: Virtual Examination events, which contains important information about how virtual events will be held and how you can participate. Advice note 8.6 can be accessed via the following link:

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THE APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

The Application documents, including the draft Development Consent Order, the compulsory acquisition information (including the Land Plans, Book of Reference, Funding Statement and Statement of Reasons) and the Environmental Statement can be viewed and downloaded online

at the Planning Inspectorate’s project website:

The Application documents can also be viewed, free of charge, at the following public locations:

Venue and Address

Opening hours

Printing Costs

Chelmsford Library

County Hall

Market Road

Chelmsford

CM1 1QH

Monday 9am to 5.30pm

Tuesday 9am to 5.30pm

Wednesday 9am to 5.30pm

Thursday Closed

Friday 9am to 5.30pm

Saturday 9am to 5.00pm

Sunday 10.30am to 1.30pm

Black and white

A4 20p per side

Colour

A4 £1.35 per side

Maldon Town Council

Council Offices, Princes Road,

Maldon, Essex CM9 5DL

Monday to Thursday,

9am to 4.30pm

Friday 9am to 4pm

Saturday and Sunday CLOSED

Black and white

A4 10p per side

A3 20p per side

Colour

A4 20p per side

A3 40p per side

Braintree Library

Fairfield Road

Braintree

CM7 3YL

Monday 9am to 7pm

Tuesday 9am to 5:30pm

Wednesday 9am to 5:30pm

Thursday 9am to 5:30pm

Friday 9am to 5:30pm

Saturday 9am to 5pm

Sunday Closed

Black and white

A4 20p per side

Colour

A4 £1.35 per side

Colchester Library

Trinity Square

Colchester

CO1 1JB

Monday 9am to 5:30pm

Tuesday 9am to 5:30pm

Wednesday 9am to 7pm

Thursday 9am to 5:30pm

Friday 9am to 5:30pm

Saturday 9am to 5pm

Sunday 1pm to 4pm

Black and white

A4 20p per side

Colour

A4 £1.35 per side

Kelvedon Library

Aylett’s Foundation School

Maldon Road

Kelvedon

CO5 9BA

Monday 2pm to 5:30pm

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday Closed

Thursday 9am to 1pm

Friday Closed

Saturday 9am to 5pm

Sunday Closed

Black and white

A4 20p per side

Colour

A4 £1.35 per side

Springfield Library

St Augustine’s Way

Chelmsford

CM1 6GX

Monday Closed

Tuesday 10am to 5pm

Wednesday Closed

Thursday 10am to 5pm

Friday 10am to 5pm

Saturday 10am to 1pm

Sunday Closed

Black and white

A4 20p per side

Colour

A4 £1.35 per side

Tiptree Library

Rectory Road

Tiptree

CO5 0SX

Monday Closed

Tuesday 9am to 5:30pm

Wednesday Closed

Thursday 2pm to 7pm

Friday Closed

Saturday 9am to 5pm

Sunday Closed

Black and white

A4 20p per side

Colour

A4 £1.35 per side

Witham Library

18 Newland Street

Witham

CM8 2AQ

Monday 9am to 5:30pm

Tuesday 9am to 5:30pm

Wednesday 9am to 7pm

Thursday 9am to 5:30pm

Friday 9am to 5:30pm

Saturday 9am to 5pm

Sunday Closed

Black and white

A4 20p per side

Colour

A4 £1.35 per side

Venue copying charges will apply

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The Application documents can also be viewed online at libraries with internet facilities, using the web address above. Check with the location before you leave to confirm opening times, and whether you need to register as a library member in order to use a computer.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Further information about the Application, the hearings, how to take part in the Examination and any other matters covered in this notice may be obtained from the Planning Inspectorate or National Highways A12 Project Team using the following contact details:

The Planning Inspectorate

National Highways

Post: The Planning Inspectorate, 3D Eagle Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol, BS1 6PN

Email: A12ChelmsfordtoA120@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Phone: 0303 444 5000

Website:

Please quote the Application reference number

TR010060 in any correspondence with the Planning Inspectorate about this Scheme.

Correspondence about this Scheme should be marked FAO Deborah Allen

Post: A12 Project Team, National Highways, Woodlands, Manton Lane, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK41 7LW

Email: A12chelmsfordA120wide@nationalhighways.co.uk

Phone: 0300 123 5000

Website: