National Highways’ plans to improve the A428 between the Black Cat Roundabout and Caxton Gibbet Road in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire has been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Transport.
The application involves the dualling of the A428 between A1/A421 Black Cat Junction and A428/A1198 Caxton Gibbet Junction to high quality dual carriageway. Construction will include 12 miles (19km) of new Dual Carriageway, and Grade separated junctions.
The application was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration by National Highways on 26 February 2021 and accepted for Examination on 23 March 2021.
Following an Examination during which the public, Statutory Consultees and Interested Parties were given the opportunity to give evidence to the Examining Authority, recommendations were made to the Secretary of State on 18 May 2022.
This is the 116th Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and 43rd transport application to have been examined by The Planning Inspectorate within the timescales laid down in the Planning Act 2008.
The Planning Inspectorate’s Chief Executive, Sarah Richards said: “The Planning Inspectorate has now examined more than 100 nationally significant infrastructure projects since the Planning Act 2008 process was introduced, ensuring local communities have had the opportunity of being involved in the examination of projects that may affect them.
“The Planning Inspectorate is committed to giving local communities the opportunity of being involved in the examination of projects that may affect them. Local people, the local authority and other interested parties were able to participate in the six-month long examination.
“The Examining Authority listened and gave full consideration to local views and the evidence gathered during the Examination before making its recommendation.”
The decision, the recommendation made by the Examining Authority to the Secretary of State and the evidence considered by the Examining Authority in reaching its recommendation are publicly available on the project pages of the National Infrastructure Planning website.
(Picture – National Highways)
