A1P (1) MAJOR HIGHWAY SCHEMES - A5225 ... - Wigan Council

or from the north. That at junction 25 allows this only to traffic to or from the south. The
nearest all-ways junction with the M6 is junction 23 to the south of Ashton-in-
Makerfield, where the A49 road from the town centre meets both the M6 and the A580
dual-carriageway. In the absence of the ANB, traffic to and from the town as a whole
(including the South Lancashire Industrial Estate which lies to the east of this) and the
south along the M6 travels along the A49 through the town centre to and from junction
23. The construction of the bypass would not alter this pattern because it would provide a
significantly more lengthy journey via junction 25 which lies to the north of the town.
10.145 In the absence of the ANB, traffic to and from the town as a whole
(including the South Lancashire Industrial Estate) and the north along the M6 travels
through the town centre along the A58 road to and from junction 24. The construction of
the bypass would not alter this pattern because it would link to junction 25. To use it,
traffic to and from the north would make a double journey along the M6 between
junctions 24 and 25. This is the basic problem which is reflected in the conclusions of the
GMTU study.
10.146 The problem could be partially resolved if M6 junction 25 was converted
to an all-ways junction. This would enable the ANB to provide an alternative route for
traffic to and from the north on the M6 without the need to traverse the town centre. It
would still, however, not reduce the level of traffic to and from the south via the M6
junction 23 which uses the town centre because that would remain the more direct route.
The same situation would pertain if, instead of using a converted junction 25, traffic to
and from the north via the M6 eventually used the A49 and the A5225 road to join that
motorway. In any case, notwithstanding the LPA’s advocacy to the Highways Agency,
no evidence was presented to the inquiry to support any expectation that the Highways
Agency will upgrade junction 25 during the lifetime of the emerging UDP.
10.147 I conclude, on the basis of the only technical evidence produced to the
inquiry on this matter, that the proposed ANB would not achieve, to any tangible extent,
the purposes for it which are stated in the reasoned justification for the policy i.e. that it
would relieve industrial and through-traffic from a large part of Ashton. There can,
therefore, be no justification for regarding this scheme as a potential solution to the
identified problem.
The implications for the trunk road network
10.148 An objector argues that the proposed road has the potential to have a
detrimental impact on the capacity, safety and efficiency of the trunk road network, but
these impacts do not appear to have been satisfactorily addressed. A planning application
will be required for the road and this must be accompanied by a Transport Assessment in
accordance with the advice of PPG13 and policy A1A of the RDD. The reasoned
justification for policy A1A, at RDD stage, confirms that the coverage and detail of the
Transport Assessment should reflect the scale and likely impacts of the development
proposed, including any implications for the trunk road network. This procedure will
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