National Highways A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements.
Date Added: 24/02/2022
The scheme’s examination stage for its Development Consent Order (DCO) application has now ended. We know that the A428 Black Cat to Caxton Gibbet improvements will increase safety at junctions, reduce travel time, enable economic growth and connect the local community so we’ve been working hard to answer all the questions raised during the examination period.
What’s happening now?
Over the next three months the Examination Authority (appointed by the Planning Inspectorate), who has been scrutinising the scheme during its formal public examination, will carefully consider all the evidence they’ve heard including the many questions and representations from the public, local authorities and interested parties.
They will then make a recommendation as to whether the Secretary of State for Transport should grant formal planning permission (a Development Consent Order) so construction can begin.
Following receipt of the Examining Authority’s Recommendation Report, the Secretary of State has a further three months to decide whether to grant or refuse development consent. We expect this decision to come late summer. The full Examining Authority’s report won’t be published until the decision is made.
While we wait for the decision, we’ll be busy over the next six months…
We’ll continue to talk and listen to you: our local communities, local authorities, elected members, parish councils and other interested parties along the route of the proposed scheme.
Our archaeologists will continue to explore areas affected by the improvements. ‘Field 44’ near Tempsford has already uncovered evidence of an ancient farm, which has offered an incredible glimpse through time to see how life has changed over the last 6,000 years.
As well as archaeology, our ecological surveys and ground investigations will continue to inform the scheme design. This work is important as it will help ensure we’re fully prepared to start construction when permission is granted.
To keep up to date with the scheme, please visit our website. To see a summary of the application process, please visit our DCO page. Or you can follow us on social media on Facebook and Twitter.