New Lee Mill A38 slip road set for council backing
It would prevent unnecessary travel through Lee Mill village
Plans for a new slip road off the A38 that would mean vehicles no longer have to travel through the hamlet of Lee Mill are set to get council backing next week.
Devon County Council’s cabinet, when they meet on Friday, are recommended to give approval for the scheme to proceed towards outline design and the planning permission stage.
The scheme would see provide a new A38 eastbound off-slip at Lee Mill which would connect vehicles exiting the A38 to the industrial estate and village, whilst avoiding unnecessary trips through Lee Mill Village.
The new slip road would leave the elevated A38 and descend towards a new roundabout, providing a tie-in with the existing local road network, which the existing slip road would be stopped up, with access along Plymouth Road retained but returned to an appropriate function.
Under the proposals, which the cabinet are recommended to approve, the existing eastbound off-slip would be stopped up to through traffic and no longer provide access from the A38 and would allow Plymouth Road to return to a more appropriate function.
The new A38 eastbound off-slip would be constructed to the east of the existing slip road and connect traffic to the industrial estate and the village via a new roundabout. This new junction would replace the existing priority junction where Beech Road and Plymouth Road meet.
As the National Cycle Network route crosses Beech Road near the proposed roundabout, improved cycle facilities to enhance connectivity and safety will be included.
Feedback from a consultation event last Autumn was overwhelmingly positive, with 93 per cent of respondents recognise the need for a new eastbound off-slip at Lee Mill and 89 per cent supporting the proposals.
Dave Black, head of planning, transportation and environment, in his report, said: “The current conditions of the A38 eastbound off-slip at Lee Mill are incompatible with the village nature of the road, with high levels of traffic travelling along Plymouth Road. An improvement scheme is required to provide a suitable off-slip from the strategic road network.
“A preliminary scheme was designed which seeks to provide a new slip road to the east of the village, removing significant volumes of traffic from the village and improving access to the industrial estate.
“A public consultation was undertaken in November and December 2020 which demonstrated overwhelming support for the proposed scheme and it is therefore recommended that the preferred option proceeds to further design and seeks to secure planning approval.”
Mr Black said that while the relocation of the eastbound off-slip will result in slightly longer journey lengths to Lee Mill village, it will benefit from reduced traffic noise and pollution and improved road safety on Plymouth Road.
He added: “In recent years, Lee Mill has evolved as a bigger and more sustainable Devon village and the large industrial estate has gradually increased in size. The estate has approximately 400,000 sqm gross of employment, including a Tesco Extra with approximately 700 parking spaces.
“As a result, Lee Mill has emerged into an ‘out of city’ employment and retail centre in close proximity to Plymouth but this is served predominantly by an existing eastbound off-slip that is not fit for purpose.
“When the A38 Lee Mill junction was built, a formal eastbound off-slip was not constructed. Instead, the historic Plymouth Road has been used for access. This road has village features such as frontage development on both sides with a mixture of private and commercial premises, traffic calming and narrow pavements.
“It is inappropriate for slip road traffic, leading to concerns over noise, air quality and safety and these effects are exacerbated by the fact that Plymouth is the main traffic generator for Lee Mill, providing employment opportunities for the residents and important connections for the businesses located in the village and industrial estate, and there is a significant volume of traffic demand travelling along the Plymouth Road off-slip which are not directly associated with the village of Lee Mill.”
The cabinet are recommended to give approval for the scheme to proceed towards outline design and securing planning consent, which planning permission needed before the works can begin.