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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.

Sites 1a & b, which are proposed for housing are located to the East of, but adjacent to the boundary of the built up area of Kenilworth. The A46 runs along the eastern boundary of the sites, however, we understand that access would be from the exisitng local road network, via Glasshouse Lane.

The proximity of these sites to the A46 could make them attractive places to live for people commuting to Coventry, Warwick and Leamington Spa by private car. The closest points of access to the A46 are the Stoneleigh Road Junction and Thickthorn Interchange. Both of these junctions currently suffer from congestion, which is expected to be exacerbated by any traffic generated by these sites. This is of concern particularly to public transport services and other sustainable transport infrastructure will, therefore, be required if this site is brought forward for development.

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.