Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

The Project

Twyford Bridge Junction is a two-level junction east of Elkesley in north Nottinghamshire, where the B6387 Gamston to Ollerton road crosses the A1 trunk road and the A1 crosses the River Poulter.  The current two-level arrangement was constructed in the early 1970s by adapting the previous staggered junctions, and the layout, especially of the northbound slip roads, is non-standard and deficient.  For safety reasons, the A1 is subject to a reduced speed limit of 50mph through the junction.

Following studies of junctions and local access along the A1 in the East Midlands, schemes were developed to improve or replace the northbound slip roads in association with proposed junction improvements at Elkesley, and we consulted upon proposals in late 2005.  However, in 2006, mindful of Gladman Developments Limited's emerging proposals for a redevelopment of the former Bevercotes colliery off the B6387 just south of the A1, we decided to take forward the Elkesley and Twyford Bridge schemes separately.  The Elkesley scheme has since proceeded through publication of draft orders and, in July 2011, a public local inquiry.  In November 2011 ministers decided that the Elkesley scheme should proceed, and it is expected that the statutory orders for it will be made in spring 2012.

Progress on the Twyford Bridge scheme has been slower.  However, we have been in discussions with the owner of the Bevercotes site and have now secured agreement with them in principle that they will fund substantial works at Twyford Bridge as a precursor to the full development of their site.  Any scheme funded by them will still be promoted by the Highways Agency, and, depending on the availability of funds, it may be brought forward jointly with the Highways Agency's own long-standing proposals to improve the A1 itself through Twyford Bridge Junction.

Public Consultation

In 2008 the development consent processes for trunk road improvements were changed with the enactment of the Planning Act.  Since March 2010, any trunk road improvement schemes needing new or substantially amended slip roads, or which close or divert side roads or private accesses, will require to be the subject of an application for Development Consent Order (DCO) to, for the time being pending further planned legislative changes, the independent Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC).  The first stage in that process is the holding of a statutory consultation with all interested parties including land owners and statutory authorities, to be followed by a wider public consultation.  Those processes apply equally whether the scheme is publicly or privately funded, or a combination or both.

The progression of the Twyford Bridge scheme depends in part on Gladman's timescales for preliminary consultation on land and access, concept design, funding and other matters, and we remain in discussions with them.  It is likely that we will launch the first stage of formal statutory consultation, supported by Gladman, early in 2012.