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Introduction

The single carriageway section of the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester, Somerset, suffered from congestion and queuing, particularly during the summer months and at weekends, and higher than average accident rates. The Mott MacDonald Sweco joint venture (MMSJV) was appointed to provide design, environmental and land advisory input to develop the continuous stretch of dual carriageway, linking the Podimore Bypass and the Sparkford Bypass. Due to the size of the scheme, it was classified as a nationally significant infrastructure project, and we were involved from options identification and assessment through to Development Consent Order (DCO) submission and examination.

Challenges

The landscape surrounding this section of the A303 is predominantly rural in nature and environmentally sensitive. Constraints included the site’s proximity to Hazlegrove House, a Grade II listed building and registered park and garden, as well as other historic buildings, buried archaeology, conservation areas, local wildlife sites, and a range of priority habitats and protected species. It was imperative that the widened road avoided any unacceptable impact on the surrounding natural and historic environment. Throughout the development of the scheme design, consultation with key environmental bodies was a priority. Following announcement of the preferred route, Environmental Technical Working Groups (TWG)s were established and met on a regular basis to review environmental impact and determine mitigation measures, informed by large volumes of data captured from surveys and desktop analyses.

Solutions

We considered all environmental constraints during the optioneering phase, using our Moata Geospatial platform to digitally represent environmental survey results alongside the scheme design and the identified environmental designations. This tool was crucial during Technical Working Groups (TWGs) to guide consultees through the evolving design, facilitating live analyses and transparent decision-making. Moata Geospatial enabled consultees to take ownership of the design, providing timely and constructive feedback. We captured land interest records and communications in our Moata Land Management system, evidencing ‘diligent inquiry’ and informing the Book of Reference, land plans, and statutory notices. This approach enabled disciplines leads, in particular heritage, landscape and biodiversity, to foster strong relationships with key environmental stakeholders, particularly for the sensitive Hazelgrove House Registered Park and Garden. Engagement with various consultation bodies led to an evolved design that reflected the environmental and cultural context, with landscape and heritage mitigation tailored to the site’s sensitivity.

Results

After some consideration, two routes for the carriageway went to public consultation, with the final option chosen largely for its reduced effects on biodiversity and the registered park and garden, and to minimise construction in an unspoilt rural setting. Ultimately, after submitting our ES as part of the DCO application, we received no objections from the statutory environmental bodies, and this was largely due to the ability to collaborate with the consultees during the preliminary design process using Moata Geospatial. We then progressed the scheme through the DCO examination, and the Secretary of State for Transport granted development consent in January 2021. The scheme opened to traffic in the Autumn of 2024.

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