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How We Manage Our Roads
In this section you can find out more about how we manage and maintain these roads and plan for the future
The Project Control Framework
On 1st April 2008 we launched the Project Control Framework. The Framework sets out how we, together with the Department for Transport, manage and deliver major improvement projects.
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Final strategy document
8 strategy impact statement
8 Strategy Impact Statement
8.1 Introduction
8.1.1 This Route Management Strategy study has identified a number of key route issues and, to address these, a strategy based on Route Outcomes (RO's) has been devised. The Strategy Impact Statement demonstrates how the implementation of the Route Outcomes will result in a beneficial impact on the performance of the route. This chapter also highlights the priority that will be given to each of the Route Outcomes, and contains tables that illustrate the impact of the key Route Outcomes on route issues, route functions, land use and development control, and policy objectives.
8.2 Key Route Outcomes
Chapter 7 outlines the Route Outcomes that have been developed. Based on an analysis of route issues and the consultation that has been undertaken, a number of key route outcomes have been identified. These have been determined on the basis of the degree of impact they are expected to have on the route functions and issues. The Key Route Outcomes are as follows:
| RO1: | To adopt a consistent, realistic and enforceable approach in the management of vehicle speeds along the route |
|---|---|
| RO2: | To improve overtaking opportunities to improve the safety and economic efficiency of the route |
| RO3: | To improve safety by seeking to reduce the number of personal injury collisions along the route |
| RO5: | To improve non-motorised user facilities to enhance accessibility along and across the route |
| RO6: | To improve the performance of the A49 through Hereford |
| RO7: | Seek to facilitate and support economic activity along the route through a proactive development control strategy |
| RO10: | To improve lay-by provision along the route |
8.3 Additional Route Outcomes
8.3.1 The other route outcomes that are considered to have a lower priority are as follows:
| RO4: | To improve alignment to enhance the safety and economic efficiency of the route |
|---|---|
| RO8: | To enhance the provision of, and rationalisation of signing and road markings along the route |
| RO9: | To seek to facilitate improvement of public transport facilities along the route |
| RO11: | To seek to reduce the environmental impact of the route |
8.4 Key Route Outcomes Analysis
The key Route Outcomes are expected to have a positive impact on the route as a whole. The following tables illustrate the impact of the key Route Outcomes:
- Key Route Outcomes in relation to Route Issues (Table 8.1)
- Key Route Outcomes in relation to Route Functions (Table 8.2)
- Key Route Outcomes in relation to Development Control (Table 8.3)
- Key Route Outcomes in relation to Policy Objectives (Table 8.4)
| Route Functions | Route Issues | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Management RO1 | Overtaking RO2 | Anti-Collision RO3 | Non- Motorised Users RO5 | Hereford RO6 | Economic Activity RO7 | Lay-bys RO10 | |
| Personal injury collisions | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact |
| Cyclist/Pedestrian/Equestrian Accessibility and Safety Issues | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |
| Limited Safe Overtaking Opportunities | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||
| Vehicle Speeds through Settlements along the Route | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | ||
| Inconsistent Signing | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |
| Inconsistent Journey Times | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |
| Congestion in Hereford | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||
| Provision and Integration of Public Transport | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||
| Route Functions | Key Route Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Management RO1 | Overtaking RO2 | Anti-Collision RO3 | Non- Motorised Users RO5 | Hereford RO6 | Economic Activity RO7 | Lay-bys RO10 | |
| F1 A strategic link between South Wales and the Midlands via the English Trunk RoadNetwork | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |
| F2 A regional spine; providing for north-south movements and connections to otherroutes within the region | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |
| F3 Contributes to and facilitates economic activity, and regeneration aspirations | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |
| F4 Provides a public transport route and opportunities for modal interchange | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||
| F5 A local road providing access for local communities along and near the route to everyday facilities | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||
| F6 Providing access to shopping, education, work, leisure and health facilities for motorised and non-motorised users | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact |
| F7 Providing access for local commercial, tourism and farming activities | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact |
| Development Control matters | Key Route Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Management RO1 | Overtaking RO2 | Anti-Collision RO3 | Non- Motorised Users RO5 | Hereford RO6 | Economic Activity RO7 | Lay-bys RO10 | |
| Encourage Use of Alternatives to the Private Car to Access New Developments | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||
| Maintain Safety and the Function of the A49, particularly as a Local Route | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact |
| Support Appropriate Development along the Route | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | ||||
| Policy Objectives | Key Route Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Management RO1 | Overtaking RO2 | Anti-Collision RO3 | Non- Motorised Users RO5 | Hereford RO6 | Economic Activity RO7 | Lay-bys RO10 | |
| Retain and protect the landscape by minimising and mitigating impacts from the road | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||||
| Improve the built environment in rural settlements along the route | Positive Impact | ||||||
| Maintain village character along the route | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||||
| Protect watercourses and biodiversity | Positive Impact | ||||||
| To assist efforts to improve air quality within the Hereford Air Quality Management Zone | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||||
| Seek to reduce the number and severity of personal injury collisions amongst users ofthe route | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |
| Seek to provide safe conditions for vulnerable road user groups | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | ||
| Reduce opportunities and need for drivers to overtake at unsuitable locations along the route | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | ||
| To provide a standard of route appropriate to all its defined functions | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact |
| To seek to ensure there are suitable stopping/resting places along the route | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||||
| To achieve a consistent and high standard of signing along the route | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact |
| To seek to ensure community safety through the management of traffic speeds | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||
| To seek to ensure safe, easy access to facilities along the A49, especially schools, particularly in rural settlements | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | ||
| Seek to support economic regeneration in the region | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |
| Seek to contribute to economic activity by maintaining journey time reliability along the route and improving it through Hereford | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |
| Seek to contribute to economic activity by improving accessibility | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |
| To assist in reducing congestion on the A49 within Hereford | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||
| To provide a standard of route appropriate to its strategic functions | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact |
| Seek to improve access across and along the route for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised users | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | |||
| Reduce community severance, improve access to facilities, particularly for pedestrians, in settlements along the route | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | ||||
| Seek to encourage the use of public transport through increased awareness andimproved facilities | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | ||||
| Seek to encourage the use of public transport through increased integration | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | ||||
| To work in partnership with relevant organisations to make better use of thenetwork | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact | Positive Impact |
8.5 Development Control
8.5.1 An assessment of the likely impact of future development within the study corridor has been set out in the Land Use & Development Control statement. It is concluded that most of the future development along the A49 is centred on the Market Towns, Shrewsbury and Hereford. Within Herefordshire, most of the future development allocations along the A49 are within Hereford. This may lead to increased congestion on the A49 in Hereford.
8.5.2 Within Shropshire, Craven Arms is identified as a Strategic Growth Centre, and there are also future development allocations in Leominster and Ludlow. These allocations may result in increased trips along the A49, particularly to Shrewsbury.
8.5.3 The impact, individual and combined, of these developments should be monitored by the HA to ensure the functions and key Route Outcomes are not compromised.
8.6 What Happens Next?
8.6.1 The Highways Agency area team will follow the procedures set out in the Programme Objectives Guide (POG) in order to identify and develop appropriate actions to deliver the Route Outcomes from the Route Management Strategy.
