First Planning Act 2008 scheme promoted by local authority gets green light

The first scheme to be promoted by a local authority under the infrastructure planning and consenting regime contained in the Planning Act 2008 was given the go-ahead by the Government this week.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin granted consent for the Heysham to M6 link, a 4.6km dual carriageway. The scheme was promoted by Lancashire County Council.

The grant of consent was announced on the same day that approval was given by Energy Secretary Ed Davey for the building of Hinkley Point C power station, which is the largest project under the 2008 Act to date.

Lancashire CC said that work on the Heysham to M6 Link road – one of its priority projects – would begin this summer.

The £123m scheme will provide better access to Morecambe and industrial areas including Heysham power stations and the Port of Heysham, which is the third largest in the North West.

The approval by the Transport Secretary includes compulsory purchase powers and planning permission. The council said it would be writing to landowners affected and begin the formal process of acquiring the remaining land needed for the road.

Cllr Tim Ashton, Cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "Lancashire has been anticipating today's news for decades and I could not be happier that the Heysham to M6 link road is going to become a reality. 



"The M6 link is more than just a road-building scheme – it will be an engine for economic growth for the whole region. The new road will reduce congestion and greatly increase the potential for investment in the surrounding area.”

See also: Angus Walker’s Planning Act 2008 blog