The Highways Agency (HA) together with Warwickshire County Council (WCC) is currently undertaking an assessment of the implications of the strategic housing and employment allocations proposed in the Council's Core Strategy Preferred Options paper for both the Strategic Road Network (SRN) and the local road network. This work is expected to be completed by June 2010 and will help determing what, if any, measures to mitigate the impact of the proposed development options on the SRN will be requred. This work should also help to inform the development of the Council's Infrastructure Delivery Plan, which will underping the Core Stretegy.

Given the uncertainty about which, if any, of the alternative sites are suitable for development, the HA has been unable to undertake any such detailed assessment of the traffic impacts of these sites at this time but would wish to do so when there is greater clarity. For the purposes of responding to this consultation, we have, therefore, undertaken a qualitative assesment of each of the sites focussing on the potential impacts of each site on the SRN and their suitabilty in terms of sustainability.

This site compromises approximately 97ha of land at Baginton. The site is located to the west of Coventry Airport and is bounded to the North by the A45 and to the west by the A46. We understand that if this site were to come forward for development it would compromise a mix of uses including residential, employment, airport uses and leisure.

The site lies within close proximity to three key SRN junctions: A45/A46 Toll Bar End; A45/A4114 Stivichall Interchange; and, Stoneleigh Road. As set out above, both the Stivichall Interchange and the Stonleigh Road junction and their links currently suffer from congestion. Additionally, the Toll Bar End roundabout is currently the subject of a HA improvement scheme aimed at reducing congestion at the junction.

We are concerned that the additional traffic generated by this site could adversely impact on the operation of both the Stivichall Interchange and the Stoneleigh Road junction and their links. We are also concerned that additional traffic passing through the Toll Bar End junction could potentially offset the capacity improvements brought about by the improvement scheme.

There are currently limited public transport services within the vicinity of the site, and the closest amenities and local services are located north of the A46 in southern Coventry. If the District Council were to consider this site suitable for development, the HA would expect to see it supported by a comprehensive package of public transport and other sustainable transport measures aimed at reducing private vehicle trips.

All six of the proposed alternative sites are considered to have some impact upon the SRN. It is expected that Site 2 would have the least impact, due to the relative distance from the M40, and the number of local services, amenities, and employment sites within the neighbouring areas. The remaining sites would have a more noticeable impact upon the SRN. Site 6 in particular has the potential to severely impact upon some sensitive locations along the A46. As set out above, we would, of course, wish to undertake further detailed assessment of the traffic impacts of the sites on the SRN when there is greater clarity about which, if any, sites are considered to be suitable for development.