Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

Related pages

• Executive summary
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Route description
• 3 Policy objectives
• 4 Route functions
• 5 Land use and development control statement
• 6 Route problems and performance
• 7 Route outcomes
• 8 Strategy impact statement

1 Introduction

1 Introduction

1.1 The M1 and M10 Study

The M1 is one of the main north south transport corridors in England, linking London and the major conurbations to the north including Northampton, Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds. The M1 study route covers approximately 125.5 kms (80 miles), starting from Junction 1 (Brent Cross) to Junction 19 with the M6 and the A14(T). This part serves Luton, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Rugby.

This study also includes the M10 which is approximately 4.5 kms (2.8 miles), connecting St Albans to the M1 Junction 7. The Highways Agency has programmed to widen the M1 between Junctions 6A (M25) and 10 (Luton) to become a four lane motorway with continuous hard shoulders. Once the M1 widening has been completed and open to traffic in 2008, the M10 will be de-classified to an all purpose trunk road and re-numbered as A414(T). It will then form part of the existing A414 connecting to the M1 motorway.

Mott MacDonald have been commissioned to prepare a 10 year Route Management Strategy (RMS) for the M1 (Junction 1-19) and M10. The following sections explain the process of preparing an RMS and the subsequent development of a Strategy Impact Statement.

1.2 What is a Route Management Strategy?

A Route Management Strategy is:

'..a technique being developed by the Highways Agency to provide a framework for managing individual trunk routes as part of wider transport network. Route Management Strategies will interlock with local transport strategies (set out in Local Transport plans) within the context established by the Regional Planning Guidance'. (Reference Para 3.1.34 'A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone').

The Route Management Strategy (RMS) process has been developed to:

• Assist the HA in planning and optimising investment in the trunk road/motorway network (across different budget headings), and in the delivery of HA strategic plans and the ten year transport strategy.
• Provide consistency, transparency, openness and integration, particularly with other transport related strategies, including local and regional transport plans.
• Enable the HA to provide an input into these strategies and plans.
• Maximise customer focus.
• Improve forward planning over a 10-year horizon.

The development of RMS assists the HA to achieve its objective which is:

• To deliver a high quality service to all our customers by:
  1. Improving road safety
  2. Making journeys more reliable through better network management and information
  3. Respecting the environment

The development of the RMS will be administered and delivered by the HA, with the assistance of a consultant, through undertaking a Route Management Strategy study.

Whilst a RMS will be focused upon a particular route, the impact which other routes may have upon it and the impact that the route may have no others should be considered within the study. This would be particularly applicable where an issue on one route can be resolved through an outcome on another.

The HA has a set of strategic plans for the road network. The RMS system has been designed to ensure that these plans are used to develop roads that better serve the people who use them.

This RMS was developed in the first instance under the Route Management Strategy Guidance of January 2002, which set out a framework for assessing the comparative performance of the M1/M10 in relation to the rest of the strategic trunk road network in England. A new Route Management Strategy Guidance issued in November 2003, set out an amended methodology for preparing an RMS. This report follows the new methodology while retaining elements of the original assessment criteria.

A RMS comprises the following elements:

• Policy Objectives
• Route Functions and Performance
• Route Problems and Issues
• Land Use and Development Statement
• Route Outcomes

The overall impact of the Route Outcomes (ROs) on the Policy Objectives, Route Functions and Problems, is contained within a Strategy Impact Statement. This statement can also be used to identify potential actions, which may contribute to delivering the ROs.

The HA intends to have a RMS in place for each route in the strategic road network.

A RMS will lead to the preparation of a Route Management Plan (RMP) which will assist the HA to achieve its strategic aim which is to contribute to sustainable development by maintaining, operating and improving the trunk road network in support of the Government's integrated transport and land use planning polices.

1.3 Study Background

The RMS Guidance of November 2003 (Version 2) sets out the methodology for preparing a Route Management Strategy.

It is intended for use by the HA in managing the process, for consultants developing the RMS and Project Board members assisting in the process.

This methodology provides a flexible approach to undertaking any RMS Study which allows for the size and nature of the RMS to be reflected in the amount of work which needs to be undertaken and is sensitive to the extent of study and consultation that has already been undertaken on a route.

A Route Management Strategy comprises the following elements:

• Policy Objectives are wider planning, economic and transport objectives, which are pertinent to the route.
• Route Functions and Performance describe the purposes the route serves currently, how well it serves these and those it is intended to serve in the future.
• Route Problems and Issues are matters of concern to the HA, Stakeholders or the public that may prevent the Policy Objectives being met or hinder the performance of Route Functions.
• The Land Use and Development Control Statement outlines the HA's approach to future land use and development issues which materially affect the route.
• Route Outcomes set out what the HA will seek to achieve for the route over the 10 year period of the Route Management Strategy. They should contribute to Policy Objectives, improve the performance of the Route consistent with its future Functions and seek to address Route Problems and Issues. Some of the Outcomes may point towards individual projects and investigations which will subsequently be developed by the HA as a Route Management Plan.

The overall impact of the Route Outcomes on the Policy Objectives, Route Functions and Problems, is contained within a Strategy Impact Statement. This statement can also be used to identify potential actions, which may contribute to delivering the Route Outcomes.

This Route Management Strategy (RMS) will provide a 10-year framework for preparing RMP managing the M10 and M1 between Junction 1 at Brent Cross in London and Junction 19 with the M6 and the A14(T).

The RMS embraces the five key policy objectives for transport:

• To protect and enhance the built and natural environment
• To improve safety for all travellers
• To contribute to an efficient economy to support sustainable economic growth in appropriate locations
• To promote accessibility to everyday facilities for all, especially those without access to a car
• To promote the integration of all forms of transport and land use planning, leading to a better, more efficient transport system.

This document sets out the problems and issues identified to date.

1.4 Current Situation

This RMS has been undertaken in parallel with three Multi-Modal Studies. Their final reports have been published and responded to by the Secretary of State (SOS).

1. ORBIT, covering orbital movements around London;
2. The London to South Midlands Multi-Modal Study (LSMMMS), which broadly looks at transport north of the M25 up to and including Junction 19 on the M1; and
3. The East Midlands Multi-Modal Study (M1MMS), broadly looking at transport issues along the M1 corridor from Junction 21 to 30. Although this study encompasses an area to the north of the M1 RMS, any proposals at the southern end of the study area may have an effect on the outcome of the RMS.

ORBIT and LSMMMS have overlapping boundaries in terms of their areas of interest, however for the purposes of the study, the boundary is assumed to be immediately north of the M25. It was originally intended that the RMSs would ocus on lower level local issues with strategic issues being covered by the MMSs. However from the comments made by the consultees, it became evident that it is not possible to divorce local from strategic issues, particularly in relation to the outcomes identified in the Government's 10 Year Plan for Transport.

For this reason the HA allowed for a break in the M1 and M10 RMS programme and delayed completion of the Initial RMS until after the MMSs published their final reports and the SOS had made announcements on them after careful consideration.

1.5 The Secretary of State's Announcement

Of the Multi-Modal Studies that the Secretary of State (SOS) for Transport has responded to, the London to South Midlands MMS has the most direct impact on this Route Management Strategy. The details of the SOS's comments on these MMSs mentioned above are to be found in Sections 2.10, 2.11 and 2.12.

1.6 RMS Study Programme

The RMS timetable is outlined below and a flow chart detailing the process (see Figure 1.1) is to be found on the following page.

Start of Project (4 February 2002)

Consultation letters were sent to all key stakeholders, local authorities, transport operating companies, environmental organisations, local parish councils, pressure groups and business representatives explaining the study and inviting them to give their views.

Draft Route Management Strategy Internal Workshop (19 April 2002)

An internal workshop was held on 19 April 2002 which set out our view of the route functions, route objectives and problems and the draft strategy at a workshop attended by the Managing Agents the Project Owner and the Project Sponsor in order to develop an initial Draft RMS.

Break

Following the workshop there was a break in the RMS process until the three MMSs had published their final reports. The SOS's comments on the MMSs can be found in Sections 2.10, 2.11 and 2.12.

Route Management Strategy Seminar (16 June 2003)

Representatives from key stakeholders and other organisations were invited to a RMS Seminar, where the RMS Study was introduced and a list of possible problems and outcomes identified by the attendees. The seminar took account of the findings of the Multi- Modal Studies that are relevant to the RMS study.

Value Management (VM) Workshop (30 July 2003)

The workshop allowed the HA, major key stakeholders and local authorities to prioritise problems and solutions and identify a set of Outcomes which could be taken forward.

Prepare Initial Route Management Strategy (January 2005)

Following the VM workshop, the draft RMS was updated and is now presented as the Initial Route Management Strategy. This updated RMS details the HA's policy objectives, functions and problems which together with a land use development control statement form the basis of the report for Public Consultation. Subsequently a brochure and a questionnaire will be prepared for the public consultation.

Public Consultation (February 2005)

A public consultation will be carried out over a 12-week period to publicise the proposed RMS and to encourage comments from members of the public.

Publication of Final Route Management Strategy (planned for June 2005)

After taking into account comments received during public consultation, a final Route Management Strategy will be published.

Route Management Plan

Following completion of the RMS, a Route Management Plan will be developed by the HA providing the implementation plan for actions which will contribute to the Route Outcomes.

Figure 1.1: The RMS Process