Major highways projects

Description of the scheme

High Speed Two (HS2) is a high speed railway which will connect major cities in Britain. A dedicated high speed rail service between London and the West Midlands is expected to open between 2029 and 2033.

The A361 is the approved route for construction traffic to access one of the main construction sites in Northamptonshire. It is located just to the north of Chipping Warden on the former airfield.

Stage one of the Relief Road extends from the A361 just north of Hogg End to a point north of Long Barrow. It was opened to traffic in June 2021, ahead of the main construction compound being fully operational.

Stage two will see the connection to the A361 altered to suit the permanent road layout. This will commence once HS2 Ltd have built the cut and cover tunnel for the new railway.

The approved plans for the Relief Road can be viewed on the Chipping Warden Parish Council website.

Benefits of the scheme

The Relief Road removes the need for traffic to travel via the village centre. This will reduce the number of vehicles in the centre of Chipping Warden, improve air quality, noise levels and road safety.

The Relief Road is a permanent feature so the village will continue to benefit once High Speed Two is completed.

Scheme cost and how it will be funded

High Speed Two Limited contractors designed and built the Relief Road. We made a £2 million contribution towards the cost of the scheme.

Public consultation

We undertook public consultation on possible routes in summer 2014. Strong support for a relief road to the west of Chipping Warden was received. High Speed Two Limited undertook public consultation as part of Additional Provision 2 in July 2015.

Further information

Further information on the High Speed Two project through Northamptonshire is available on the HS2 website.

The A422 through the village of Farthinghoe currently suffers from sub-standard geometry, a narrow carriageway and footways. The bypass is set to remove through traffic from the centre of the village.

The main objectives are to:

• enhance local environment and improve air quality of traffic travelling within the village
• reduce volume of traffic through the village - particularly HGVs
• improve road safety
• provide a high quality alternative route that will allow for free flowing traffic along the A422

Since January 2020 work has been underway to carry out preliminary design work and production of a technical report. A number of different routes have been considered due to concerns raised in the previous consultation. These are regarding the potential impact on the businesses, medieval ponds and special landscape area.

Funding

The current work to identify a preferred route is being funded by West Northamptonshire Council. Government funding will need to be sought to fund the cost of building the road. The current estimated cost to construct the bypass is £28.5 to £33.75 million.

Route design

The 4 proposed northern routes have been designed as a single carriageway with a design speed of 100kph
(60mph). Road lighting will be provided only at and on approach to junctions.

Junctions

We are proposing that there should be junctions between the bypass and the existing A422 east and west of the village. This will provide good access for traffic that needs to be in the village. It will also encourage through traffic on to the bypass. A free-flowing route with minimal junctions and limited direct access will improve comfort. This will result in reduced journey times and enhanced journey reliability along the A422.

Alignment

The bypass will be kept as low as practical within the landscape to the north of the village. We are proposing that it should pass under both Cockley Road and the access to Abbey Lodge Farm without a junction.

Walking, cycling and horse riding

There is currently limited provision for walking, cycling and horse riding throughout the village. The existing A422 is served by a narrow footway throughout the village, and there is a signalised crossing facility near the primary school. Therefore, a walking, cycling and horse riding assessment will be carried out during the next stage.

Structures

For each bypass option, two new bridge structures have been identified.

Route options

Farthinghoe has a number of important and significant environmental constraints that each of the proposed options must consider. Those identified and considered in a recent desk top study. Further work will be undertaken on the preferred route when determined. This will establish more precisely the environmental impact of the route and any mitigation measures necessary.

Consultation

Consultation on the preferred route ran from 6 November 2020 to 3 January 2021. The responses were reported to West Northamptonshire Council after the May 2021 elections.

Improvements to the Round Spinney roundabout (phase 1a) were completed in 2015. These resulted in increased capacity at this junction and improved traffic flow.

Phase 2 was a dualling of the section north of the Moulton roundabout to a new junction near Overstone Grange. This was opened to traffic in early 2018.

Phase 1b was fully opened for traffic in June 2020. This provided a new road between the Round Spinney and Moulton roundabouts bypassing the existing road.

Phase 3 is intended to extend the dualling to the Holcot and Sywell roundabout. A bid for Government funding towards this phase was submitted in 2016 but was not successful.

A bid for Major Road Network funding to construct this section was submitted in August 2019. We are now developing a Strategic Outline Business Case to support this submission.

Further phases will be needed to complete the dualling through to the A14 but have not yet been determined.

Public consultation

Consultation and examination hearings for the West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy highlighted the view of the local community. Improvements to the A43, among other measures, are necessary to support the proposed development at Northampton North.

Scheme cost and funding

Phase 2 was constructed within its budget of £9.25m. It was comprised of:

• £6.5m of government funding secured through the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) and
• £2.75m of Section 106 funding from the Overstone Leys development

Phase 1b was constructed within its budget of £17.5m. This included:

• £7.9m of government funding through the SEMLEP Local Growth Deal, and
• £4.1m of Section 106 funding

Phase 3 has an estimated cost of £23.7m. A bid for £19.2m of Department for Transport Major Road Network funding is also being progressed.

This section will be updated as the scheme progresses.

The NGMS is a joint project between us and National Highways (formerly Highways England).

We are project managing the scheme and funding on behalf of all the project partners. In total, seven junctions will be improved:

• M1 Junction 15
• A45 Wootton Interchange
• A45 Queen Eleanor Interchange
• A45 Brackmills Interchange
• A45 Barnes Meadow Interchange
• A45 Lumbertubs interchange
• A45 Great Billing interchange

Details of the location of these junctions and scheme designs are available on request by email to [email protected]

Benefits of the scheme

The scheme will increase capacity, reduce congestion and facilitate housing growth along the A45 between M1 Junction 15 and the Great Billing Interchange.

Scheme cost and how it will be funded

Improvements to all seven junctions will cost more than £12m. A total of £5.877m has been secured so far from:

• developer contributions (£1.797m), and
• the Highways England Growth and Housing Fund (£4.08m)

The funding secured so far is designed to deliver improvements at the A45 Queen Eleanor Interchange, A45 Brackmills and Great Billing Interchanges. A review of the scheme is currently underway. A decision on how the scheme is to proceed is expected later in 2021.

The remaining junctions will be improved as funding becomes available.

What happens next

Further details of the programme will be shared with local residents and businesses as they become available.

The proposed new road will link the A5199 and Northampton North West Relief Road between Kingsthorpe and Chapel Brampton with the A43 north of Moulton. The new road will also connect with the Moulton Park industrial estate.

Benefits of the scheme

Completing a new ring road will reduce the amount of traffic passing through northern parts of Northampton. This also includes a number of surrounding villages such as Boughton, Moulton and Pitsford. The road will also create a new route for traffic heading to the Moulton Park industrial estate.

The Northampton Northern Orbital Route is also needed to help with the growth proposals to the north and west of Northampton. Some 10,000 new homes are to be built at sites such as Dallington Grange, Buckton Fields, and Northampton North. The road is expected to create capacity for future development beyond that already planned.

Scheme costs and how it will be funded

An estimated cost for the scheme will be developed as work progresses. It is anticipated that the road will be funded by a combination of government and developer funding.

2017 public consultation

The route options were consulted on in 2017 and the consultation closed on 4 August 2017.

For further information about both the North West Relief Road and Northampton Northern Orbital route, email [email protected].

What happens next

Following the decision on a preferred route, work will begin to design the new road and gain the necessary powers and funding.

This page will be updated as the scheme progresses.

Description of scheme

The Northampton North-West Relief Road will link the A428 Harlestone Road with the A5199 Welford Road. The section from the A428 to south of the railway line will be constructed by the developers of Dallington Grange. 

The first part of this section has already been constructed as part of the Harlestone Manor development. We will be responsible for building the section of road across the railway line connecting the developer's road to the A5199 Welford Road.

Benefits of the scheme

The Northampton North-West Relief Road will reduce congestion in the North-West of Northampton. It will be providing a new crossing of the river valley.

The new road will also improve access to the motorway and other strategic roads. These include Moulton Park, Round Spinney and Lodge Farm Industrial Estates.

How the scheme will be funded

The road will be funded by a combination of central government, local government and developer funding. Government funding of £7.93m has been allocated from the SEMLEP Local Growth Deal. 

West Northamptonshire Council have committed up to £4.2m towards the scheme. Developers’ contributions of at least £15m have been identified towards the scheme.

Current Scheme Status

Work has now officially commenced on the relief road, with work due for completion in Summer 2024. 

You can view the latest NWRR newsletters detailing updates below:

Upcoming road closures – summary

• Sandy Lane – 4 March until 8 April 2024
• Welford Road – 10 April until 28 June 2024

For full details of the road closures please visit our Roadworks page.
 

Scheme Background

Full business case

A detailed business case for the Government funding was developed in accordance with the Department for Transport's guidance on transport business cases. A revised business case was submitted to SEMLEP in April 2021. SEMLEP have confirmed their continued support for the project.
 

Planning

A detailed planning application for the section of the road we will build was submitted to our planning team. Planning consent was granted on 22 September 2020. All details relevant to planning are available upon request by emailing [email protected].

You can visit the planning applications page relating to the 19/00045/CCDFUL North-West Relief Road.

Information events

The information boards from the public information events are available upon request by emailing [email protected].
 

Compulsory Purchase Order

The Compulsory Purchase Order has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport. The order has authorised us to purchase land and rights required for constructing the relief road.

The following documents and reports are available by emailing us at [email protected]:
•    Appendix 5.4 EIA scoping response
•    Biodiversity net gain assessments
•    Construction environmental management plan (CEMP)
•    Engineering proof of evidence of the acquiring authority
•    Engineering proof of evidence of the acquiring authority summary
•    Environmental impact assessment scoping report
•    Environmental proof of evidence of the acquiring authority
•    Environmental proof of evidence of the acquiring authority summary
•    Environmental statement volume 1: Non-technical summary
•    Figure 6.3: Landscape mitigation and preliminary design
•    Figure 11.6: Landscape mitigation design
•    Land and property proof of evidence of the acquiring authority
•    Land and property proof of evidence of the acquiring authority summary
•    Landscape and ecological management plan
•    Policy fit proof of evidence of the acquiring authority
•    Policy fit proof of evidence of the acquiring authority summary
•    Request for environmental impact assessment (EIA) scoping option
•    Screening opinion
•    Screening response
•    Transport proof of evidence of the acquiring authority
•    Transport proof of evidence of the acquiring authority summary

See government guidance on the Compulsory Purchase process and compensation.