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21 May 2021

The Secretary of State has made a Correction Order (PDF, 145 KB) affecting the A303 Sparkford to Ilchester Dualling Development Consent Order 2021.

A Correction Notice (PDF, 45 KB) was issued on 20 May 2021. The corrections to the Order are applied following a request from the Applicant dated 10 February 2021 (PDF, 133 KB).

29 January 2021

The Secretary of State has granted development consent for this application. For further information please refer to the following decision documentation:

Planning Inspectorate Notification of Decision Letter (PDF, 130KB)
Secretary of State Decision Letter (PDF, 487KB)
Development Consent Order as made by the Secretary of State (PDF, 2MB)
Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report (PDF, 5MB)
Post-Examination Submission Log (PDF, 4MB)
Regulation 31 Notice (PDF, 83KB)

29 January 2021

Decision made by the Secretary of State

14 December 2020

12 November 2020

The Secretary of State for Transport has invited comments from the Applicant and Defence Infrastructure Organisation in relation to the issue of bird strike. The deadline of 11th December 2020 has been given for any response.

To allow time for the parties to submit further information by 11th December 2020, the Secretary of State has set a new deadline of 29 January 2021 for his decision on this application. The Secretary of State has asked the Planning Inspectorate to facilitate the consultation process via the project page of the National Infrastructure Planning website.

17 September 2020

The responses to the Secretary of State’s letter dated 19 August 2020 requesting comments from all Interested Parties have now been published.

19 August 2020

The responses to the Secretary of State’s consultation of 21 July 2020 have now been published.

The Secretary of State for Transport has invited comments from all Interested Parties on the Applicant’s response (PDF 125kb) by 16 September 2020.

21 July 2020

The Secretary of State for Transport is minded to refuse this application subject to further information or evidence from the Applicant on a number of specific issues. Published alongside this letter is a copy of the Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report and the Post-Examination Submissions received between 13 June 2019 to 21 July 2020.

To allow time for the Applicant to submit further information by 18 August 2020 and to allow for consultation on the further information with Interested Parties, the Secretary of State has set a new deadline of 20 November 2020 for his decision on this application. The Secretary of State has asked the Planning Inspectorate to facilitate the consultation process via the project page of the National Infrastructure Planning website.”

17 July 2020

The A303 Sparkford to Ilchester Dualling Development Consent application remains with the Secretary of State for consideration.

29 April 2020

A Statement has been laid in Parliament setting a new deadline of 17 July 2020 to enable further work to be carried out before the application is determined by the Secretary of State.

16 December 2019

15 November 2019

In light of the general election, the original decision date of 12 December 2019 for the A303 Sparkford to Ilchester Dualling Development Consent Order application will now be postponed until a new Government is appointed. A Statement to Parliament setting a new deadline for a decision will be made once Parliament is in session.

The Examining Authority issued a Recommendation Report to the Secretary of State on 12 September 2019. The decision letter and Recommendation Report will be published on this project page once a decision has been made

12 September 2019

Recommendations given by the Planning Inspectorate

12 June 2019

The Examination closes at 23:59 on Wednesday 12 June 2019.

11 June 2019

The Submissions for Deadline 8 have now been published

The Examining Authority has issued a Rule 17 – Request for further information from the Applicant following receipt of the Deadline 8 submission.

4 June 2019

The Submissions for Deadline 7 have now been published.

24 May 2019

17 May 2019

The Action Points from Issue Specific Hearings 5 and 6 have been published.

Please note that Issue Specific Hearing 6 will continue on the afternoon of Thursday 23 May 2019, recommencing at 13:30 hours.

16 May 2019

Agendas for the hearings on 23 May 2019 have been published. Please note that Issue Specific Hearing 6 will continue on the afternoon of Thursday 23 May 2019, recommencing at 13:30 hours.

8 May 2019

The Agendas for ISH5, ISH6 and OFH3 have been published along with the Submissions for Deadline 6a.

2 May 2019

The Submissions for Deadline 6 have now been published.

29 April 2019

24 April 2019

The Examining Authority has issued a procedural decision in relation to the Additional Land Application which includes notification of hearings taking place on 23 May and amendments to the Examination time table.

16 April 2019

The Notification of Hearings being held in May 2019 and the Report on the Implications for European Sites (RIES) have now been published.

9 April 2019

The Submissions for Deadline 5 have now been published.

22 March 2019

The Examination Authority’s Further Written Questions have been published and responses are required by 5 April 2019.

A Procedural Decision has been issued relating to the Applicant’s Non-Material Change request.

Following the Examining Authority’s decision to accept the Additional Land Application for examination, comments are now invited on the Applicant’s proposed provision before Monday 22 April 2019. Any comments must be made on the Registration and Relevant Representation Form and must relate to the Applicant’s application for Additional Land only.

15 March 2019

A Procedural Decision has been issued relating to the Applicant’s Non-Material Change request.

Following the Examining Authority’s decision to accept the Additional Land Application for examination, comments are now invited on the Applicant’s proposed provision before Monday 22 April 2019. Any comments must be made on the Registration and Relevant Representation Form and must relate to the Applicant’s application for Additional Land only.

13 March 2019

The Deadline 4 Submissions have been published.

The Examining Authority has issued a request for further information and a request for clarification on the further information submitted.

The Examining Authority has issued a notification letter about their procedural decision to accept the proposed provision for the compulsory acquisition of additional land and the proposed design changes.

8 March 2019

25 February 2019

An Unaccompanied Site Inspection Note has now been published.

The Applicant, Highways England, submitted a letter on 18 February 2019 requesting a change to the accepted application.

Interested parties are asked to continue to provide written representations on the original application, accepted on 23 August 2018, in line with the Examination Timetable. If the requested change is accepted into the Examination by the Examining Authority it will be the subject of separate consultation with a separate deadline for representations.

13 February 2019

The Deadline 3 Submissions and ASI Itinerary have been published.

29 January 2019

The notification of hearings being held from the 26 February 2019 – 1 March 2019 have now been published.

28 January 2019

Deadline 2 Submissions have been published.

14 January 2019

Deadline 1 Submissions have been published.

21 December 2018

The Examination Timetable (Rule 8 letter) has been sent to Interested Parties.

Procedural decision following Preliminary Meeting.

14 December 2018

The Recordings of the Preliminary Meeting and Open Floor Hearing, along with an Unaccompanied Site Inspection Note have now been published.

12 December 2018

Preliminary Meeting takes place

12 December 2018

Examination begins

19 November 2018

Procedural Decision by the Examining Authority has been published.

14 November 2018

The notification of Preliminary Meeting (Rule 6 letter) has been sent.

The letter also includes the draft Examination Timetable and Initial Assessment of Principal Issues.

23 October 2018

Relevant representations published on the website

19 October 2018

Registration of interested parties closes

13 September 2018

Registration of interested parties begins

23 August 2018

The application has been accepted for examination

27 July 2018

Application received by the Planning Inspectorate