The SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT of Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 4DR (the “Applicant”) proposes to make an application (the “Application”) under Section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 to the Infrastructure Planning Commission or its successor under the Localism Act 2011 (the “Commission”) for the above-named Development Consent Order to construct:

A 7.5 kilometre / 4.7 mile improvement to the A556 trunk road in Cheshire between M6 Junction 19 near Knutsford, Cheshire and M56 Junction 7 near Bowdon, Greater Manchester. The scheme would improve the route to a consistent standard of modern dual carriageway. The main aspects of the project include:

• Construction of a new section of the A556 from M6 Junction 19 to north of Bucklow Hill, to bypass Over Tabley, Mere and Bucklow Hill

• Improvement of the existing A556 north of the new bypass, to the M56

• Improvement of the layout of M56 Junction 7 at Bowdon

• Creation of junctions allowing local traffic access to the new A556

• Narrowing of the bypassed section of the A556 and changes to side road connections

• Measures to mitigate environmental impacts of the scheme and improve the local environment

The Applicant gives notice that the Application is an Environmental Impact Assessment Development, and that, to enable the Commission to determine whether to implement the project, an Environmental Statement will be provided for the purposes of the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2009.

COPIES of the Consultation Information, which includes the Consultation Leaflet, the Preliminary Environmental Information (the preliminary results of the Environmental Impact Assessment), a non-technical summary of the Preliminary Environmental Information, the Scheme Assessment Report, the Junction Options Comparative Assessment Report, the Statement of Community Consultation and this Section 48 Notice, may be inspected free of charge from Monday 23rd January 2012 to Monday 16th April 2012, or within 12 weeks from the date of first publication of this notice if that period expires later at:

• the Highways Agency, 9th Floor, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2WD. Viewing times: Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm. Telephone: 0161 930 5998

• Knutsford Library, Toft Road, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 0PG. Open: Monday 9am – 5pm, Tuesday 9am – 7pm, Wednesday 9am – 1pm, Thursday 9am – 7pm, Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturday 9:30am – 1pm. Telephone: 01625 374873 / e-mail:

knutsford.library@cheshireeast.gov.uk

• Cheshire East Council’s Macclesfield Customer Service Centre, Town Hall, Market Place, Macclesfield, SK10 1EA. Open: Monday – Friday 8:45am – 5pm. Telephone: 0300 123 55 00

• Sandbach Library, The Commons, Sandbach, Cheshire, CW11 1FJ. Open: Monday 9am – 7pm, Tuesday 9am – 5pm, Wednesday 9am – 7pm, Thursday 9am – 1pm, Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturday 9:30am – 1pm. Telephone: 01270 375355 / e-mail:

sandbach.library@cheshireeast.gov.uk

• Trafford Council’s ‘Welcome Point’, Waterside House, Sale Waterside, Sale, M33 7ZF. Open: Monday 9am - 7pm, Tuesday 9am - 5pm, Wednesday 9am - 7pm, Thursday 9am - 5pm, Friday 9am - 5pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm. Telephone: 0161 912 2000 / e-mail access.trafford@trafford.gov.uk

• Little Bollington Cof E Primary School, Lymm Rd, Little Bollington, Cheshire. Likely viewing times: Monday –Friday 3.30pm -4.30pm. Telephone: 01565 830344.

Copies of the above Consultation Information may be requested from the Highways Agency at the Project Team address given below. Paper copies of the Consultation Leaflet, the non-technical summary of the Preliminary Environmental Information, the Statement of Community Consultation and this Section 48 Notice will be supplied free of charge. Paper copies of the Preliminary Environmental Information, the Scheme Assessment Report and the Junction Options Comparative Assessment Report may be bought. The Preliminary Environmental Information is priced at £186.23, the Scheme Assessment Report at £135.89 and the Junction Options Comparative Assessment Report at £124.78. All prices include VAT at 20%. Please contact the Highways Agency for further details regarding prices and payment methods. You can also obtain a free copy of the complete Preliminary Environmental Information in a CD format by contacting the project team.

Copies of the Consultation Information are also available on-line at:

www.highways.gov.uk/a556knutsfordbowdon

ANY PERSON MAY COMMENT on the proposed development or comment on the Preliminary Environmental Information no later than Monday 16th April 2012, or within 12 weeks from the date of first publication of this notice if that period expires later, by writing to the Secretary of State for Transport at the offices of the Highways Agency, 9th Floor, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2WD, or at the e-mail address of a556knutsfordbowdon@highways.gsi.gov.uk, quoting “A556 Knutsford To Bowdon”. Any comments will be taken into consideration and used where we can, and taking all issues into account, to shape the proposals made in the Application. In the preparation of any comment, it should be borne in mind that the substance of it may be communicated to other people who may be affected, as feedback and as part of a report on the Pre-Application Consultation.

Before deciding whether to proceed with the Application, the Secretary of State will consider all comments made about the proposed development or the Preliminary Environmental Information. Comments will form the basis of a Pre-Application Consultation Report that will be one of the factors taken into account by the Commission when it decides whether or not the Application can be accepted.

Further information on the project and this notice may be obtained from the A556 Knutsford to Bowdon Project Team, Highways Agency, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester M1 2WD or by telephone on 0161 930 5998, or by e-mail on:

a556knutsfordbowdon@highways.gsi.gov.uk.

Jeremy Bloom, Senior Development Manager

Highways Agency, Lateral, 8 City Walk, Leeds LS11 9AT.

4th January 2012