Highways Agency

• Introduction
• Environmental Effects
• Public Exhibition

A66 Temple Sowerby Bypass and Improvements at Winderwath

Non Technical Summary of the Environmental Statement - JUNE 2002

Introduction

The Highways Agency has announced a road scheme that provides a bypass of the village of Temple Sowerby and an improvement of the A66 at Winderwath.

The Scheme is a development of the proposals that were the subject of local consultation with the public and interested parties in 1993. These proposals were for a bypass to the south and west of the village. The majority of those who responded expressed support for the route.

The Agency's proposals take the form of draft Orders under the Highways Act that show the line of the Bypass, the alterations to side roads and other rights of way, the section of existing A66 trunk road that will revert to local authority responsibility when the Bypass opens and the compulsory purchase of land needed to build the Bypass.

This leaflet describes the Scheme and summarises, in non-technical language, the Environmental Statement that has been published in accordance with European Directives 85/337/EEC and 97/11/EC as applied by Section 105A of the Highways Act 1980.

Why the Bypass is needed

The A66 is the major east-west route connecting the A1, the North East, Teesside and North Yorkshire with the M6 and the west coast of Cumbria. The volume of traffic (over 13,000 vehicles per day) using the A66 through Temple Sowerby, results in a poor accident record and severs the village bringing noise, pollution and visual intrusion.

In the five year period between 1995-2000 there were 14 recorded personal injury accidents including 2 fatal and 3 severe within Temple Sowerby village. Immediately to the west of the village, the A66 crosses the River Eden on a fine stone arch bridge of substandard width. In the vicinity of the bridge, 14 injury accidents were recorded in the same period including 1 fatal, 1 severe and 12 slight. The A66 continues towards Penrith through Winderwath on a narrow and winding alignment. Further to the west, the junction with Cliburn Road also has a poor accident record with 4 injury accidents recorded in the same period. Throughout the length of A66 to be bypassed there are a large number of uncontrolled junctions and access points that cause conflict with through traffic. The new Bypass will remove around 93% of traffic currently passing through the village, including a large proportion of heavy goods vehicles, greatly improving conditions for all road users, pedestrians and residents.

The Scheme

The 5 km (3.1 mile) dual carriageway bypass starts in the west near Whinfell House and passes to the south and west of Temple Sowerby terminating in the east near Spitals Farm.

From Whinfell House, heading east, the Scheme sweeps to the south, rising on embankments to cross Cliburn Road on a bridge which forms part of a compact two level junction providing access to and from the existing A66 west of the village. Cliburn Road will be realigned but will still provide access to Ash Hill Cottages. Access to Whinfell House will be provided by a new track leading from Cliburn Road.

Passing to the north of Ash Hill Farm the Bypass will be in cutting, with a bridge over the Bypass providing access to Ash Hill Farm from the present A66. As the Bypass approaches the river, the land drops and the road continues on embankment, crossing the flood plain and the River Eden on a bridge approximately 7 m above the river bank The Bypass continues to run on embankment changing to a cutting as it passes to the west of Acton Lodge. The existing bridleway near Acton Lodge will cross the Bypass on a bridge that will be also used for farm access. The road will continue in cutting until it returns to existing ground level to the west of Vicarage Lane. From this point, the Bypass will then rise on embankment to cross Morland Road where a two level junction provides access to and from the east of the village. From Morland Road the Bypass runs on a shallow embankment to rejoin the existing A66 adjacent to Spitals Farm.

Cross-Section of the Proposed A66 Temple Sowerby Bypass near the new housing at Vicarage Lane

Measures Taken to Reduce Environmental Effects

The Scheme has been designed to reduce, as far as possible, any damage to the environment, whilst still considering other factors such as road safety, engineering design and cost.

Measures to fit the new Bypass into the local landscape comprise the appropriate use of cuttings and embankments, including the use of mounding to screen most views of the road from properties within the village, grading out of the embankment side slopes to integrate the road with the landscape and, where possible, returning land to agricultural use.

Roadside landscaping will further fit the road into the local landscape setting and help in screening and softening views to the road from properties. There will be landscaping of the embanked section of the Bypass on the north side of the road near Winderwath Farm. To the south of Temple Sowerby, the road will be largely in cutting, helping to screen the majority of views from the houses on this side of the village.At Vicarage Lane and the new residential development, landscaped mounds with tree and shrub planting will help to screen the road as it rises on embankment to the new junction and crossing of Morland Road.

Throughout the length of the Scheme, creation of new hedgerows and associated planting areas will not only provide a suitable visual setting for the Bypass but also support and extend local wildlife habitats. The new bridge at Acton Lodge, provided for bridleway and farm vehicle access, will also be designed to encourage use by wildlife.

A series of drainage ponds are proposed where water runoff from the road will be collected and treated to prevent contaminated water reaching the River Eden. The pond surrounds will be landscaped to provide new wildlife habitats.

At the River Eden crossing, the bridge layout will be designed to minimise any impedance on flow of water during flood conditions. Supporting piers will be sited on the flood plain well back from the river edge.

Route Options

The proposal to provide a bypass of Temple Sowerby was first investigated in 1974 at which time 5 routes were considered. A Preferred Route was selected, but was not progressed as the scheme was dropped from the roads programme. The scheme was reintroduced into the programme in 1985 and, in 1991, it was extended to Winderwath. Four routes were investigated, two to the north and two to the south of the village.

The two routes to the north were rejected at that point because of their effects on The Moss and archaeological sites. The third, running to the south, was rejected because it was closer to the village and considered to be more environmentally damaging than the selected route.

Consideration has also been given to other transport options such as encouraging the transfer from car to public transport and freight transport from road to rail. However, even with optimistic assumptions, only a small percentage of traffic would be removed from the village and make virtually no difference to the problems currently being experienced.