January 2024
As many trees as possible will be preserved or re-used as part of the A382 improvements.
Devon County Council is hoping to pioneer the development of the A382 link road near Newton Abbot as the UK’s first “carbon negative” highway.
It is one of seven projects receiving a share of £30 million through the Live Labs 2 programme, funded by the DfT (Department for Transport) and organised by ADEPT (Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport), to decarbonise the construction and maintenance of the road.
The A382 project is aiming to change established approaches within civil engineering, infrastructure and construction sectors in order to reduce carbon emissions.
Although some trees are being removed from the development site in November in order to create space for the road, every effort will be made to relocate or re-use as many as possible.
A temporary nursery is being established to store around 2,000 trees which are being relocated. This will enable established trees to be re-planted as part of the landscaping for the scheme.
Harvested wood which is processed at sawmills will be used for a variety of construction elements of the scheme. This is expected to include fencing, waymarkers, and possibly lighting columns.
Specialist cuts of wood can be donated to local wood turning groups and wood chip will also be donated to local community groups.
Any other waste wood will be converted into biochar, a form of charcoal which captures carbon and improves soil quality.
Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said: “Although some trees need to be removed to progress with the project, every effort is being made to relocate or re-use as many trees as possible. The Live Labs 2 projects is enabling this scheme to look at doing things differently and if the temporary nursery for 2,000 trees proves successful, hopefully it could become best practice for all road development schemes in future.”
Nicole Turley, Sustainability Manager at Milestone Infrastructure, said: “We are proud to be supporting Devon County Council on this project where we can challenge and improve the business-as-usual approach to the protection of resources on site in order to conserve the natural environmental whilst reducing carbon emissions and wastage. We are looking forward to continue to innovate on all aspects of the project as we move towards construction.”
Other carbon saving proposals being considered as part of the project include using local recycled materials, ensuring construction plant and equipment are sustainably powered, installing street lighting that can generate power, and establishing low maintenance verges and hedgerows.
The team working on the A382 pilot will also be working in partnership with other Live Labs 2 projects to share pioneering findings. This includes the Wessex partnership of Somerset County Council, Cornwall Council and Hampshire County Council, which is working on its Net Zero Corridors, and Liverpool City Council, which is trialling its ‘Ecosystem of Things’ driving a low-carbon economy.
For more information about Live Labs 2 please visit https://www.adeptnet.org.uk/livelabs2.