The bid to create a £1 billion A66 bypass is a step nearer to starting after another phase of paperwork has been given the green light.
National Highways submitted a development consent order to the Planning Inspectorate last month for consideration for its plans to dual the remaining single carriageway sections of the A66 between Scotch Corner and Junction 40 of the M6 at Penrith.
Today, July 19, the Planning Inspectorate has confirmed the project can now move on to its next stage.
The scheme can now move to pre-examination.
At this point, people can register to become an interested party by making a summary of their views about an application, made in writing.
An examining authority will also be appointed and all interested parties will be invited to attend a preliminary meeting, run and chaired by the authority.
Although there is no statutory timescale for this stage of the process, it usually takes around three months from the formal notification and publicity of an accepted application.
It is hoped work on the project will start in 2024, if it gets through the pre-examination process and the Government gives it the go-ahead.
More than 1,200 people have already given feedback on the proposals and more than 1,500 people attended consultation events.
Lee Hillyard, National Highways’ A66 Northern Trans-Pennine project director, said: “We are pleased that our DCO submission has been successful and accepted by the Planning Inspectorate and this marks another significant milestone for this important project.
“I’d like to thank the members of the public and stakeholders for their input throughout the consultation process and we will continue to keep them informed of the latest developments in relation to the project.”
