The A66 Trans-Pennine project is an incredibly important east-west route for the northern part of our region.
At Transport for the North, we believe it is a crucial part of building a New North and the full dualling of the route will have significant benefits for its many thousands of users.
On June 21, National Highways submitted an application to build the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project. On July 19, the Planning Inspectorate accepted the application meaning the Development Consent Order (DCO) can be examined further.
Acceptance does not mean construction will start. This can only begin once the Secretary of State for Transport approves the application.
You can find out more about the different stages below.
At this stage, anyone can register with the Planning Inspectorate as an Interested Party by making a Relevant Representation. A Relevant Representation is a summary of a person’s views on an application, made in writing.
The Planning Inspectorate will also formally appoint a panel of inspectors to serve as the Examining Authority, and a meeting will be held to discuss procedural issues and the timetable for examination, called the Preliminary Meeting.
This can be a six-month process when the Examining Authority will examine the DCO application using written submissions and hearings.
During this stage, Interested Parties will be invited to provide more details of their views in writing. The Examining Authority will give careful consideration to all the important and relevant matters raised.
Following the end of the examination stage, the Examining Authority will write a recommendation report and submit it to the Secretary of State for Transport.
The Secretary of State for Transport then has up to three months to make the final decision on whether to grant a development consent for the project.
Following the Secretary of State for Transport’s decision on whether to grant consent for the project, the final stage of the process is a six-week window for the decision to be challenged in the High Court. This process of legal challenge is known as judicial review.
You can find out more on the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) website or learn more about the DCO process here.
The A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project will be one of the largest and most important highways investments in the north of England, and will significantly improve journeys, safety and connectivity.
If permission is granted, construction should start in 2024.
To find out more about the project, visit the National Highways web page. You can also follow on Twitter @A66NTP and via Facebook A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project.