I am requesting information concerning the planned Wales & West Utilities gas-main replacement works affecting the A3125 between Bickington and Sticklepath Junction, including the associated traffic management and relevant Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (which I believe to be TTRO2669056). The relevant sections of road are shown on the DCC interactive map as reference XY273003002246739.
The works appear to form part of the wider Wales & West Utilities Bickington programme, subsequently identified by Wales & West as WWU063.
I am particularly seeking to establish when Devon County Council first became aware of the proposed A3125 closure, when the closure was agreed/planned, what consultation took place with local members and other authorities, and what information was available before the statutory notice was published.
Please provide the following information for the period 1 January 2025 to 15 June 2026, unless otherwise stated.
1. Initial approach by Wales & West Utilities
• Please provide:
a. The date on which Wales & West Utilities, or anyone acting on its behalf, first contacted Devon County Council concerning the proposed gas-main replacement works in the Bickington/Fremington area which would require closure or significant traffic restrictions on the A3125.
b. The date on which DCC first became aware that the works would require a closure of the A3125 between Easterly Terrace and Sticklepath Junction.
c. Copies of the initial correspondence, meeting notes, emails, applications or other records relating to that contact.
If this information is held in a highways permit, streetworks, traffic-management or One.Network system rather than the Council’s main correspondence system, please provide the relevant record and its creation/submission date.
2. TTRO2669056 (or other relevant order)
• Please provide the complete administrative record for TTRO2669056, including:
a. the original application submitted by Wales & West Utilities or its contractor;
b. the date the application was received by DCC;
c. all supporting documents submitted with the application;
d. the proposed start and completion dates at the time of application;
e. all Traffic Management Plans, drawings, plans or revisions;
f. all amendments to the proposed closure or diversion;
g. DCC officer comments or assessments;
h. consultation records;
i. the delegated decision/authorisation to advertise and/or make the TTRO;
j. the date on which the decision to proceed with the TTRO was made;
k. and the final order and associated notices.
Please include documents showing the version of the proposed scheme that existed before the public notice dated 5 May 2026.
3. Prior traffic-management planning
• Please provide any records between 1 January and 5 May 2026 referring to any proposal, discussion or agreement concerning:
a. closure of the A3125 at Bickington (including, specifically, closure of the sections of Bickington Road to the east of Sticklepath Service Station and Sticklepath Hill, leading to Sticklepath Junction)
b. closure between the A3125 and Fremington.
c. traffic management for the Wales & West Bickington gas-main project;
d. diversions associated with the project;
e. emergency-service access;
f. bus/public-transport arrangements.
g. or the need for a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.
This should include records containing terms such as Bickington, Fremington, A3125, Bickington Road, Sticklepath Hill, Wales & West Utilities, WWU063, gas main, gas works, TTRO, TRO, traffic management, closure or diversion.
4. DCC/Wales & West meetings
• Please provide dates, attendees and minutes/notes of any meetings, site meetings, telephone conferences or other formal or informal discussions between DCC and Wales & West Utilities (or its contractors) concerning
these works and/or their traffic management.
• In particular, please identify the earliest such meeting or discussion concerning the proposed A3125 closure.
5. Local councillors and elected members
• Please provide records showing when the following were first notified, consulted, or briefed concerning the proposed A3125 closure:
a. Devon County Council Local County Councillors.
b. North Devon District Councillors.
c. the Chair and/or Vice-Chair of the North Devon Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (HATOC);
d. and any other elected member contacted concerning the scheme.
Please provide the relevant emails, briefing notes, meeting invitations, minutes or other records.
I am particularly interested in establishing whether any local member was informed before 5 May 2026.
6. Parish and district councils
• Please provide records of consultation or communication with:
a. Fremington Parish Council;
b. Bickington Parish Council, if applicable;
c. North Devon District Council;
d. and any other parish, town or district council concerning the proposed closure or its traffic implications.
Please include the date of first contact and copies of relevant correspondence.
7. Wales & West public consultation
• Wales & West Utilities publicly announced its wider Bickington programme on or around 30 March 2026, stating that it would work closely with Devon County Council to plan the projects and necessary traffic measures.
• Please provide any DCC records received from or supplied to Wales & West in connection with:
a. the 30 March 2026 announcement.
b. the public drop-in event at the Cedars Inn on or around 6 May 2026;
c. consultation with residents/businesses.
d. or communications concerning the proposed A3125 closure before 5 May.
8. Relationship with earlier 2026 gas works• DCC appears to have processed earlier Wales & West traffic orders concerning gas-main replacement in the Sticklepath Hill/Old Sticklepath Hill area during January–April 2026.
• Please provide records showing whether DCC considered these works as part of, or in connection with, the wider Bickington/Fremington gas-main replacement programme.
• In particular, please provide any records linking the A3125 works to earlier traffic orders or works concerning Sticklepath Hill, including any references to a wider programme or subsequent phases.
9. HATOC — matters raised before 12 June
• The minutes of the North Devon HATOC meeting of12 June 2026 record that several issues concerning the Bickington/Fremington gas works had “been raised previously but remained outstanding, or only partially addressed.”
• Please provide the records relating to those previously raised issues, including:
a. who raised them.
b. when they were raised.
c. with whom they were raised.
d. the response provided by DCC/Wales & West.
e. and any subsequent action.
Please also provide the written officer response which HATOC resolved should be submitted to local members and North Devon District Councillors before commencement of the gas works.
10. Officer consideration of the impact of the closure
• Please provide any DCC assessment, report, briefing or correspondence prepared before 15 June 2026 concerning the anticipated impact of the closure on:
a. Barnstaple.
b. Bickington.
c. Fremington.
d. Instow/Yelland.
e. public transport.
f. emergency services.
g. local businesses.
h. school traffic.
i. congestion.
j. and alternative/diversion routes.
Please include any traffic modelling, traffic surveys, risk assessments, or mitigation assessments undertaken before the closure.
11. One. Network / street works / permit records
• Please provide the relevant DCC One.Network, streetworks permit or road-space booking record(s) for Wales & West Utilities’ Bickington/Fremington works, including:
a. application date;
b. original proposed works dates;
c. traffic-management requirements;
d. revisions;
e. approval dates;
f. and the relevant permit/reference numbers.
If these records are held by a third-party system but are accessible to DCC, please provide the information held by DCC from that system.
12. Earliest recorded date
• Finally, please identify, from your records, the earliest date on which Devon County Council recorded that a closure of the A3125 would be required for the Wales & West Bickington/Fremington gas-main replacement works.
• Please provide the document, record or correspondence establishing that date.
13. Actions Taken Under Delegated Powers
• The papers for the 12 June 2026 North Devon HATOC meeting include an “Actions Taken Under Delegated Powers” report, demonstrating that highway and traffic matters may be progressed by officers under delegated authority between scheduled HATOC meetings.
Please provide: a. The complete Actions Taken Under Delegated Powers record(s) relating to Wales & West Utilities’ Bickington/Fremington gas-main works and/or TTRO2669056 (or other relevant order).
b. Any delegated decision, officer authorisation, consultation record or other record under which the proposed A3125 closure and associated traffic management were considered, approved, or progressed without being brought before a scheduled HATOC meeting.
c. The date on which each such delegated action was taken.
d. The name/job title of the officer(s) exercising the delegated authority.
e. The relevant delegated power, scheme of delegation, standing order, constitutional provision, or other authority relied upon.
f. Any report, briefing, recommendation, or assessment considered by the officer before exercising that delegated power.
14. Elected-member requests concerning delegated actions
• Please provide any records showing that elected members were informed of, consulted about, objected to, queried or requested information concerning any traffic matter dealt with under delegated powers in connection with the Wales & West Bickington/Fremington gas works or TTRO2669056 (or other relevant order).
This should include any request made by:
a. Devon County Councillors.
b. North Devon District Councillors.
c. the Chair or Vice-Chair of HATOC.
d. or any other elected member,
for information, consultation, reconsideration, referral to HATOC, amendment of traffic-management arrangements, or review of a delegated decision.
Please provide copies of:
a. emails.
b. letters;
c. meeting notes;
d. briefing requests.
e. member enquiries.
f. officer responses.
g. records of telephone conversations where a written record was made.
h. and any subsequent action taken as a result.
In particular, please establish whether any elected member requested that TTRO2669056 or the associated traffic management arrangements be brought before HATOC, reviewed, reconsidered, or discussed before the closure
commenced on 15 June 2026.
15. Notification of delegated actions to HATOC/local members
• Please provide any records showing whether, and when, TTRO2669056 or other relevant order or the ssociated delegated traffic decisions were notified to local members or HATOC members before the 12 June 2026 meeting.
If such notification took place, please provide:
a. the date.
b. recipients.
c. the information supplied.
d. and any responses received.
If no such notification took place, please confirm this.
16. Referral or escalation to HATOC
• Please provide any records concerning whether officers, elected members or others considered referring the Bickington/Fremington gas works or TTRO2669056 or other relevant order to HATOC before the scheduled 12 June 2026 meeting.
• Please include any record explaining why the matter was, or was not, placed on an earlier HATOC agenda or otherwise referred to the Committee.
17. Member requests following the 12 June HATOC meeting
• The HATOC resolution of 12 June required a written officer response addressing the concerns raised by Councillor Biederman to be provided to local members and North Devon District Councillors before commencement of the gas works.
Please provide any records of subsequent requests by elected members concerning:
a. the promised written response.
b. the traffic-management arrangements.
c. emergency-service access.
d. public transport.
e. communications.
f. monitoring of the closure.
g. congestion.
h. or mitigation measures.
Please also provide records showing when the promised written response was circulated, to whom it was circulated, and any responses or further requests made by elected members as a result.
18. Confirmation if no records exist
• Where the Council holds no record of any elected member notification, consultation, request, objection, referral, or response concerning the delegated traffic decisions described above, please confirm this explicitly rather than treating the absence of records as outside the scope of the request.
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 makes provision for public authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of compliance would exceed the appropriate limit, which for local government is set at £450 or 18 hours of officer time.
Complying with this request would involve co-ordinating work by many, many council officers across a wide range of business areas. We estimate that it would take in excess of 200 hours to locate and retrieve this information.
This response acts as a Refusal Notice for the whole of your request.
Under the Act, there is a duty to provide advice and assistance as to how a request can be refined to fit within the appropriate limit. Unfortunately, due to the wide ranging and extensive nature of this request, this is not possible for this request.