Highways Agency

• Executive summary
• 1 introduction
• 2 route description
• 3 policy objectives
• 4 route functions
• 5 land use & development control statement
• 6 route issues and performance
• 7 route outcomes
• 8 strategy impact statement

3 policy objectives

3 Policy Objectives

3.1 Introduction

3.1.1 This chapter outlines the policy objectives relevant to the A49 RMS. These policies have been derived through a review of National and Regional Policies. These policies and strategies are listed later in this chapter, but comprise of national policies including planning policy guidance, DTLR Circular 4/2001 and A New Deal for Transport; Better for Everyone. Local and Regional Objectives have been derived through a review of Regional Planning Guidance, Development Plans, Structure Plans, Local Transport Plans and Multi-modal Studies.

3.2 What are Policy Objectives

3.2.1 Policy Objectives are those National, Regional, or Local Government policies that are seen to be relevant to the current or future use and performance of the route.

3.2.2 The policy objectives that have been developed as part of the A49 RMS have been categorised under the Government's five key objectives for transport of Economy, Safety, Environment, Accessibility and Integration. These policy objectives have been used when identifying the Route Functions and developing the Route Outcomes.

3.3 Written List of Policies

3.3.1 The sources that have been used to derive the policy objectives are listed below. Where these strategies contain targets that are relevant to this RMS, they have been identified and considered in the development of targets for the Route Outcomes of the A49 RMS.

3.3.2 National policy documents that have been reviewed are;

• Highways Agency Strategic Plans including:
  • Roads to the Future - Highways Agency Strategic Plan for Operating the Network,
  • Highways Agency Strategic Plan for Improving the Network,
  • Highways Agency Strategic Plan for Safety,
  • Highways Agency Strategic Plan for Accessibility;
  • Highways Agency Strategic Plan for Integration;
• A New Deal for Trunk Roads In England;
• All relevant Planning Policy Guidance documents;
• DTLR Circular 4/2001;
• A New Deal for Transport; Better for Everyone.

3.3.3 Regional and Local policy documents that have been reviewed are;

• City of Hereford Local Plan, adopted 1996;
• Hereford and Worcester County Structure Plan, June 1993;
• Hereford and Worcester Minerals Local Plan;
• Hereford Transport Review, Local MMS, February 2003;
• Herefordshire Local Transport Plan, 2000;
• Herefordshire Unitary Development Plan, Deposit Draft, September 2002
• Leominster District Local Plan, November 1998;
• Regional Transport Strategy;
• Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Local Plan, June 2001;
• Shropshire Local Transport Plan, 2000;
• Shropshire Waste Local Plan, 2002-2014, First Deposit Draft;
• Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Joint Structure Plan, 1996 - 2011, November 2002;
• Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Mineral Local Plan, 1996-2006, April 2000;
• South Herefordshire District Local Plan, February 1999;
• South Shropshire District Council Local Plan, modified December 2002;
• West Midlands Draft Regional Planning Guidance, November 2001.

3.4 Policy Objectives and Sources

3.4.1 The agreed high level objective for the A49, based on agreed functions outlined inChapter 4 and the five key government objectives is to "manage and maintain the A49, compatible with its strategic, regional and local functions whilst addressing the governments five investment criteria". The purpose objective of the A49 is to maintain the "current low strategic – high local function balance". In addition to the agreement of the purpose objective, impact objectives have been developed. These are outlined in the following tables each covering one of the government objective areas of Economy, Safety, Environment, Accessibility, and Integration. The sources of the objectives are highlighted.