Deep Lane junction consultation

Consultation on new design options for Deep Lane junction was held during November and December 2009. Four new junction designs were presented as part of this consultation and we invited people to give us some feedback on what they liked and disliked about each of the options.

These designs were developed as part of the wider plans for the Eastern Corridor Major Scheme Bid that we are preparing to submit to the Department for Transport (DfT) next year. This bid is being led by Plymouth City Council in partnership with Devon County Council and the Highways Agency.

With the level of housing and mixed use development planned for the east of the city, the Langage and Sherford developments in particular are predicted to have a significant impact on Deep Lane junction, so options for a design that will create a high level of public transport priority and allow for a higher volume of traffic to travel through the junction were investigated.

In the summer of 2008 a public consultation was held to show people the possible high quality public transport routes in and out of Plymouth city centre and the type of service that could be provided. The layout of a possible junction improvement to Deep Lane was also included. Comments from the public and relevant organisations were very useful in developing the scheme further. For more information and the results of this consultation please visit the phase 1 consultation page.

Since this consultation, work to progress the Eastern Corridor transport scheme has continued. In particular, further work has been carried out to design a junction at Deep Lane that can cope with the predicted increase in traffic volumes from the developments along the Eastern Corridor whilst providing for a high level of public transport.

The views of the local community will play a part in determining a preferred option, so we were keen to get some feedback on all four options. Leaflets were delivered to all households and businesses in the Deep Lane junction area with a feedback sheet and pre-paid envelope. A questionnaire was also available to be completed online on Devon County Council's website. A number of exhibitions were also held, with officers on hand to explain the various options and answer any questions. The consultation closed on 11 December 2009.

The consultation brochure and questionnaire can be viewed below:

Deep Lane consultation brochure [695KB]

Consultation feedback

Although the consultation did not ask respondents to directly indicate which option they preferred, many people nevertheless expressed a view. The preferred option was Option 4.

Option 4 which includes minor improvements in the Deep Lane area together with the widening of Sandy Road, the signalisation of the Ridgeway roundabout and the lengthening of the westbound off slip from the A38. It also includes significant improvements to the Voss Farm Junction with slip roads allowing movements in all directions to provide access to the Langage Business Park (the consultation version of this option has subsequently been amended to include an additional lane on the eastbound carriageway of the A38 from Deep Lane to Voss Farm).

The consultation feedback report can be found below:

Deep Lane consultation feedback questionnaire [35KB]

Next steps

The results of the public consultation, together with an assessment of the costs, benefits, risks, environmental impact and technical issues associated with each option, were considered by Plymouth City Council, Devon County Council and the Highways Agency and a recommendation made to Cabinet in June 2010 to adopt Option 4 as the Preferred Option to be included within the Major Scheme Business Case. A copy of the Cabinet report is provided below:

Cabinet Report 8 June 2010: Deep Lane proposals [1MB]

Work will now start to finalise the preferred option ready for submission as part of a Major Scheme Bid. Further proposals will also be developed for walking, cycling and public transport.

Deep Lane and Voss Farm junctions consultation report [1MB]