Representor – Dorset County Council (Ms Sue McGowan)
Respondent Reference: 4308001
Issue 6 – Yeovil Sustainable Urban Extension
Question 6.2 Have the implications of this level of growth for local infrastructure, services and facilities been assessed and appropriately taken into account? Is it clear what infrastructure will be provided and to what timetable?
Submission of Dorset County Council
The attached Plan headed YV2 Yeovil Extension, helps to Illustrate the points made in our representation to the Pre-Submission Local Plan, which is repeated below.
Yeovil Urban Extension
Transport - Opportunity to improve long distance north – south route.
Dorset County Council has a long term aspiration to improve the links between the A37 and the A3088/ A358. This corridor is a vital north-south link for businesses in South and West Dorset, including Portland Port. It forms part of the regional freight route network and links directly into the national freight network.
The County Council is disappointed that there have been few improvements to the A37 north of the county border to match those made on the Dorset side. Further improvements to the alignment of the road north of the Somerset-Dorset border remain an aspiration of Dorset County Council as stated in paragraph 12.4.7 in the Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset Local Transport Plan 2011 -2026:
“There remain concerns within Weymouth and Portland over the poor connections from the area to the national motorway network and poor accessibility to key employment sites such as Portland. Improvements to the A37/A3088/A358 corridor are mostly completed within Dorset but remain outstanding within Somerset. Both Dorset and Somerset County Councils will continue to argue the case for more funds to improve the national primary route link to the M5 which is required to support economic growth in both authorities.”
The Council recognises that during the current economic situation, delivery of a major improvement in Somerset is unlikely to be achievable in the short to medium term. However, the proposed Yeovil Sustainable Urban Extension to the south west of the town provides an opportunity to deliver a local link road to enhance connectivity at the northern end of the A37. It would also facilitate movement of traffic from Dorset to the employment areas west of Yeovil and would provide penetration into the new development by public transport. A further advantage would be to reduce traffic at the Quicksilver Roundabout and on West Coker Road which has many residential frontages. This would deliver environmental and health benefits to these residents by reducing carbon emissions and noise and by improving road safety and air quality. It is acknowledged that the route of the required link road would traverse the northern-most section of the proposed East and North Coker buffer zone and this should be managed sympathetically within the masterplan for the new development.
Proposed Changes:
(i) Add to the end of para 5.39. “This should include the provision of a link road between the A37 and A3088, to be explored further in the masterplanning process of the new development site.”
(ii) Add a further requirement to Policy YV2: Yeovil Sustainable Urban Extension
· “A new link road between A37 and A3088.”
See Plan YV2 Yeovil Extension over.
Representor – Dorset County Council (Ms Sue McGowan)
Respondent Reference: 4308001
Issue 6 – Yeovil Sustainable Urban Extension
Question 6.2 Have the implications of this level of growth for local infrastructure, services and facilities been assessed and appropriately taken into account? Is it clear what infrastructure will be provided and to what timetable?