Notice is hereby given that the Secretary of State has accepted an Application by National Highways Company Limited of Bridge House, 1 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, GU1 4LZ (“the Applicant”) for a Development Consent Order (“DCO”) under the Planning Act 2008 (“the Application”). The Application was submitted by National Highways to the Secretary of State c/o the Planning Inspectorate (“the Inspectorate”) on 14 November 2024 and was accepted for examination on 12 December 2024. The reference number applied to the Application by the Inspectorate is TR010066.

Summary of the Application

The DCO would authorise the A46 Coventry Junctions (Walsgrave) Scheme (the “Scheme”), which is an upgrade to the existing A46 Walsgrave Junction to the east of Coventry. The Scheme comprises:

• Realignment of the existing A46 dual carriageway through the existing at grade roundabout (which will be removed), for approximately 880m to improve the road geometry and allow for a 50mph speed limit.

• Earthworks on the eastern side of the A46 mainline to facilitate the realignment through the existing at grade roundabout.

• A new grade separated junction over the A46 mainline, approximately 800m north of the existing Walsgrave Junction to connect the B4082 with the A46.

• A new overbridge structure across the existing A46, between the dumbbell roundabouts forming the grade separated junction.

• New merge and diverge slip roads at the grade separated junction for both northbound and southbound movements.

• Realignment of the B4082 to form a single carriageway link road, for approximately 900m, to connect the local road network to the new A46 grade separated junction with a proposed 40mph speed limit.

• Road assets and street furniture such as traffic signs and lines, variable message sign (VMS), street lighting columns, vehicle restraint systems (VRS), fences, retaining walls and kerbs.

• Drainage systems including a dry detention basin and two ponds that will be designed to be permanently wet.

• Proposed new maintenance accesses to the drainage features and VMS.

• Retention of the Hungerley Hall Farm accommodation bridge (the existing bridge that provides farm vehicle access over the A46 mainline).

• Farm access track to the north of Hungerly Hall Farm to provide gated access to the B4082 link road.

• Improvements to facilities for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders (WCH) through provision of a signalised pedestrian crossing on the B4082; and providing enabling works, including the retention of Hungerley Hall Farm accommodation overbridge, for a potential future WCH route to be provided by others.

• Replacement and installation of new highway boundary fencing.

• Replacement vegetation planting to compensate for the vegetation that needs to be removed to facilitate the Scheme.

A map showing the location and route of the proposed development forms part of the Application (The Location Plan) and can be viewed via the following web link:

https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/TR010066/TR010066-000230-2.1%20Location%20Plan.pdf

The DCO would authorise 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 provisions in connection with several ancillary matters including the permanent construction and alteration of streets; the temporary interference with and the permanent stopping up of streets; public rights of way and private means of access in the vicinity of the Scheme; the classification of roads all included within the Scheme, along with the amendment, disapplication and modification of relevant legislation; the appropriation of Green Belt land; cutting down, uprooting, topping or lopping trees or shrubs or cutting back their roots; carrying out civil engineering or other works; the appropriation of a highway for which the person proposing to construct or improve a highway is the highway authority; the transfer to the person proposing to construct or improve a highway of a highway for which that person is not the highway authority; and, the specification of the highway authority for a highway.

Environmental Impact Assessment

The Scheme is Environmental Impact Assessment development (“EIA development”) as defined by The Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. The Application is therefore accompanied by an Environmental Statement.

Copies of Application Documents

The Application form and accompanying Application documents including plans, maps and the Environment Statement are available for inspection and download free of charge on the relevant project webpage of the Planning Inspectorate’s National Infrastructure Planning website https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/TR010066/documents from 16 January until 27 February 2025.

The Application documents will remain on the website for the duration of the registration / relevant representation period.

An electronic copy of the Application documents can be supplied free of charge on a USB memory stick. A paper copy of the Application documents can also be supplied, but there will be a reasonable charge for paper copies to cover the cost of printing, packaging and postage up to a charge of £4,604 (printing, packaging and postage) for a complete set of Application documents.

Please contact National Highways via the following contact details if you have any enquiries about any of the Application documents or to request a copy of the Application documents:

Post: FAO A46 Coventry Junctions (Walsgrave) Project Team, National Highways, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN

Email: A46CoventryJcns@nationalhighways.co.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 5000

Making representations on the Application

Any person may make a relevant representation on the Application to the Secretary of State (i.e.: giving notice of any interest in or objection to the Application). Any relevant representation relating to the Application must be submitted on a registration form and give the grounds on which it is made. The Inspectorate have issued detailed advice on registering as an interested party and making a relevant representation, to which you are advised to have regard. The Advice Page (‘How to register to have your say and make a relevant representation’ (August 2024)) is published on the Gov.uk website under ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: Advice pages’ and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nationally-significant-infrastructure-projects-how-to-register-to-have-your-say-and-make-a-relevant-representation

The period for making a relevant representation starts on 16 January 2025 and will end at 11.59pm on 27 February 2025. Please note that any submitted representations to the Inspectorate will be published on the National Infrastructure Planning website for the Application.

The Registration and Relevant Representation form will be made available by the Inspectorate once the registration / relevant representation period has opened on the Inspectorate’s project web page: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/TR010066

Alternatively, you can request a hard copy of the registration / relevant representation form by telephoning 0303 444 5000 quoting the name of the Application and the Inspectorate’s reference number TR010066. The completed form must be received by the deadline for relevant representations. A completed hard copy form to be submitted to the Inspectorate should be sent to:

The Planning Inspectorate, Major Applications & Plans, 3rd Floor, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, BRISTOL BS1 6PN.