MEMBERS of the public are being urged to have their say once again in a public consultation on plans to upgrade a major road that runs through Cumbria.

A number of local people, from Scotch Corner to Penrith, will be affected by the consultation of the new A66 dual carriageway, the preferred route for which has recently been announced by Highways England.

The second consultation will be launched by Highways England on September 24, when the public will be invited to provide feedback on a more detailed route.

Savills Compulsory Purchase specialist, Jennifer Cessford, said: "This is a really crucial stage in the A66 dualling consultation process and it is really important to engage now to help mitigate your losses in due course.

"In the coming months and years, Highways England is likely to require access to parcels of land for ground investigation works.

"Such work can often be rigorous and intrusive involving, for example, drilling, drainage and reparation work.

"Following on from the consultation it is likely that Draft Orders will be prepared and served by Highways England. Once this documentation has been issued it can make it more challenging for concerns to be heard and changes to be implemented by way of formal objection to the scheme.

"Therefore, people need to consider carefully now whether there might be potential impacts on their land and property, and whether there are design considerations which need to be raised with Highways England which might mitigate the losses to their property. These proposals should be made to Highways England as early as possible.

"Savills acts for property owners and occupiers across the UK who are impacted by similar compulsory purchase projects, acting for affected parties through the consultation stages but also negotiating compensations claims on their behalf. Once compulsory purchase orders are passed, and where there is a claim, our fees are normally recoverable by Highways England."

The planned upgrade will involve upgrading single carriageway sections of road to dual carriageway standard and making improvements to the junctions along the route with the aim of enhancing safety, reducing congestion and improve regional and national connectivity.

Highways England's A66 trans-Pennine Project Director, Lee Hillyard, said: "We welcome the opportunity to hear a range of views about our proposal and that’s why we have extended the consultation period from four weeks to six, to give people as much time as possible to offer their opinions.

"We’ve also set up a number of different methods for people to offer their thoughts, including drop-in events where our team will be on hand to discuss the plans, and the new dedicated Facebook page."

The statutory consultation period starts on Friday 24 September at 9am.

People can learn more about the project and share their views at upcoming events, on the scheme’s new Facebook page, on Twitter and via the website.

Hard copies of the consultation are also available upon request.

For more information visit the Highways England website, email A66NTP@highwaysengland.co.uk, or call 0333 090 1192.

Those interested in receiving an update on the current proposals and on the potential impact these are likely to have on local rural property are invited to contact Jennifer Cessford at Savills Carlisle on 01228 554 222 or jennifer.cessford@savills.com for further advice.