The transport modelling for the Land North of Taylors Farm proposal appears to rely on an assumed future layout at M11 Junction 8 that includes the Northside mitigation scheme’s proposed 4th lane on the south-eastern quadrant of the gyratory, between the B1256 entry arm and the southbound on-slip.
This is significant because this 4th lane does not currently exist, and a separate live application, UTT/25/2814/DOV, now seeks to vary the Northside Section 106 arrangements in a way that appears to remove this element of mitigation. This creates an obvious problem. If the applicant’s modelling is based on a future baseline that assumes delivery of this 4th lane, when in fact that element of the scheme has not been delivered and is now the subject of a live application seeking its removal, then the baseline and cumulative modelling relied upon will be incorrect.
The recent A120 Link Road Feasibility Study states that the Stansted Northside “Interim-Plus” scheme at M11 Junction 8 would “involve the widening of the circulatory carriageway to four lanes between the B1256 entry arm and southbound on slip on the southeastern quadrant of the gyratory”. It further states that, although the M11 Junction 8 and Priory Wood Roundabout improvement schemes had not yet been delivered, both were nevertheless incorporated into
the A120 corridor model Reference Case scenario for the Local Plan modelling because the Northside application had received the relevant planning consent during the Local Plan process.
If the Land North of Taylor’s Farm traffic assessment depends on that same assumed Reference Case, then Officer should be aware that the applicant’s baseline transport assumptions may not reflect a secure or deliverable highway scenario. At the very least, the applicant should be required to provide additional modelling or sensitivity testing against the existing 3-lane arrangement. No get out clause. The applicant should not be permitted to proceed on the basis of this assumed mitigation unless the relevant Junction 8 works have actually been completed.