Highways Agency

• 1 introduction
• 2 the cosultation
• 3 method of analysis
• 4 questionnaire analysis
• 5 survey of the analysis process
• 6 comments from the wider reference group
• 7 conclusion

1 introduction

1 Introduction

1.1 Introduction

This report presents a factual account of the A194(M)/A184/A19 South of Gateshead to North of Newcastle Route Management Strategy (RMS) Public Consultation. It summarises the main results and the range of responses.

All the response comments shown in this report are those by the public and should not be taken to represent Highways Agency Policy.

The consultation was conducted from 08 May 2004 to 31July 2004. The purpose of the consultation was to obtain the views of the public and consultee organisations on the Draft Route Management Strategy and was conducted in accordance with the Highways Agency RMS Guidance document of November 2003 and the criteria of the Cabinet Office Code of Practice.

The draft strategy was set out in the Draft Route Management Strategy Report and was made available to the public. Details were summarised in a leaflet, which incorporated a questionnaire, and distributed locally along the RMS road route. Additionally, details were posted on the internet, as an RMS section hosted within the Highways Agency website.

The draft strategy is comprised of a series of 11 "Route Outcome" statements. These are shown in Appendix A, as is a Reproduction of the Executive Summary in the Draft RMS Report. Underpinning the strategy are a set of route specific functions and objectives. A draft Land Use and Development Control Statement was also provided as an integral partof the RMS process.

1.2 Form of the Public Consultation

The public consultation took the following form:

• Distribution of 176,600 leaflets inclusive of questionnaires to residential properties along the route via local free newspapers of 31,400 leaflets to regional motorway service areas, filling stations, main libraries and other key locations.
• Press release by the Highways Agency
• Consultation by letter to 160 local and national organisations, statutory and nonstatutory, which formed the Wider Reference Group (see Appendix B for a full list).
• Reports on the Draft Strategy placed at 12 deposit locations (See Appendix D)
• Web site publication of the Draft Strategy with on-line questionnaire courtesy of the Highways Agency website.
• Circulation of Website Finder A3 posters to local libraries (See Appendix N).

1.3 Purpose of this Report

The main purpose of this report is:

1. To describe how the consultation was carried out
2. To present an analysis of the responses to the questionnaires
3. To collate and summarise all the views and comments received during the public consultation and present the results succinctly.
4. To highlight any new issues or actions proposed by respondents that are not included in the Draft Strategy, for potential inclusion in the Final Strategy.

This report does not set out to respond to all the detailed comments received.

All the comments received on the questionnaires, by e-mail and letter has been entered into a computerised database to allow collation of comments relating to similar issues.