Representation by Lincoln College
- Date submitted
- 10 January 2019
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
On behalf of our client, Lincoln College, I wish to register an objection to the Development Consent Order based on the issues outlined below. The College owns land north and south of the A303 to the north east of Amesbury that is affected by the scheme.
I would consider raising this objection if these issues were satisfactorily dealt with.
All of these items have been raised with Highways England and meeting minutes or emails are available on request.
Highways England will make an electrical connection for the tunnel at one of two substations at Ratfyn Farm and run a cable across land owned by the College.
As a landowner preparing for the scheme, it is necessary to know the following: 1. Which substation will be used? 2. Will that substation need extending? 3. The proposed cable route 4. The type of legal right required for the cable 5. Who the acquiring authority would be (Highways England or Scottish and Southern Energy?).
Highways England has yet to provide definite answers to these questions. The uncertainty is problematic for the College and particularly for the College’s farm tenant, who has made his own representations.
If the southernmost of the two substations were used, the cable would be laid in the verge along the farm road. This route will be impractical due to other services in the verge and the disruption to the road, which is in regular use by the tenant, the MoD and Wessex Water. The farm tenant has proposed an alternative in farmland east of the road and I believe this should be adopted.
Secondly, Highways England proposes to delete byway “BULF12”, which crosses a triangle of land owned by the College at the eastern end of the scheme. On behalf of the College I support this, but the deletion of BULF12 removes the College’s only legal access to the land and an alternative legal access must be provided, or the land becomes worthless.
The two solutions are a new access from Amesbury Road to the west or agreeing a private right of way from the road known as “Double Hedges” to the north, over land owned by the MOD.
Highways England is yet to secure a solution. An informal approach has been made to the MOD, but no formal agreement for a right of access has been reached. The DCO plans do not indicate a new access from Amesbury Road.
To the west of Earls Farm Down, a new public highway will be created between Equinox Drive and Allington Track, with land set aside as open space. This raises two issues:
• A new access to Earls Farm Down off the new public highway will be needed (not currently included) • The open space should either be fenced or planted (not currently proposed), to reduce security issues on the College’s adjoining land.
Finally, the Countess flyover will devalue Ratfyn Farmhouse due to increased noise, light and dust. I feel more tree planting and screening is needed than is currently proposed.