What happens next
A decision on the application for a Development Consent Order for A19 / A184 Testos Junction Improvement was taken on 12 September 2018 and has now been issued.
The period for legal challenge is defined in s118 of the Planning Act 2008. Further information about legal challenge can be found in the letter sent to all Interested Parties accompanying the Secretary of State’s decision and statement of reasons.
If you have any queries about the process please email the Planning Inspectorate at [email protected] or telephone the helpline on 0303 444 5000.
Timeline (36 items)

The Department for Transport has issued a correction order for this Development Consent Order.

The Secretary of State for Transport has granted development consent for this application. Please refer to the following decision documentation:
Secretary of State for Transport’s decision letter and statement of reasons
Development Consent Order as made by the Secretary of State for Transport
Examining Authority’s report and recommendations to the Secretary of State for Transport
Post-Examination correspondence received by the Planning Inspectorate


There were no responses received to the Department for Transport’s consultation of 10 August 2018.

A consultation letter on behalf of the Department for Transport to Gateshead Council has been published.

Response to the Secretary of State’s consultation letter of 25 July has been published.

A consultation letter on behalf of the Department for Transport to the applicant has been published.


Documents received for Deadline 7 have been published.
As foreshadowed at the Preliminary Meeting, there having been no contentious representations received at Deadline 7, the Examining Authority has all necessary information to hand and has decided to close the Examination today (26 March 2018) at 1.00pm, before the end of the Examination period of 14 May 2018.


The Audio Recording of Issue Specific Hearing 4 on any Outstanding Matters and Part 1 and Part 2 of the Audio Recording of Issue Specific Hearing 5 on the draft DCO have been published.
The Action Points for Issue Specific Hearing 4 and Issue Specific Hearing 5 have also been published

The Issue Specific Hearing on the draft DCO is still going ahead at 10.00am today as planned. If anybody is unable to attend they should review the Agenda and Schedule of Issues and questions and provide any final comments in writing by deadline 5.

The Audio Recording of Issue Specific Hearing 4 on any Outstanding Matters has been published.
The hearing on Thursday 01 March 2018 is intended to proceed at this stage, so please endeavour to attend at 10am tomorrow if it is safe to do so.

The Examining Authority’s Agendas for Hearings to be held in February and March, Table of Issues and Questions to inform Issue Specific Hearing 4 (Any Outstanding Matters) and Schedule of Issues and Question to inform Issue Specific Hearing 5 (draft Development Consent Order) have been published.
The Wednesday hearing is proceeding as timetabled, starting at 10am. The hearing on Thursday is intended to proceed at this stage, so please endeavour to attend at 10am tomorrow if it is safe to do so

The Examining Authority (ExA) has decided that further written questions (ExQ2), a consultation on the draft Development Consent Order (dDCO) and/or dDCO commentary will not be required to be published.
There are outstanding questions and matters relevant to the dDCO that the ExA wishes to clarify, however these matters will be addressed at Issue Specific Hearing (ISH) 4 on Outstanding Issues (28 February) and ISH5 into the dDCO (1 March) as notified to Interested Parties on 31 January 2018. Agendas for these ISHs will be published on/before 21 February 2018 and any Interested Parties wishing to respond to the matters raised therein but are unable to attend these scheduled ISHs may do so in writing for Deadline 5 (8 March).
There are no outstanding matters relevant to Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and the ExA will therefore not be publishing a Report on the Implications for European Sites (RIES).

A letter giving Notification of Hearings on 28 February and 1 March 2018 has been published

Action Points from Issue Specific Hearing 2 on Environmental Matters held on 17 January 2018 have been published.

Notification by ExA of Agendas to inform the Open Floor Hearing, Issue Specific Hearings and Compulsory Acquisition Hearings to be held in January 2018.

The Examining Authority has made a Procedural Decision regarding the proposed non-material changes to the Application which should be read in conjunction with the Rule 8 letter issued 22 November 2017.

The Examination Timetable (Rule 8 letter) has been sent to Interested Parties
Procedural decision following Preliminary Meeting

- Preliminary Meeting takes place
- Examination begins

The notification of Preliminary Meeting (Rule 6 letter) has been sent Read the letter
The letter also includes the draft Examination Timetable and Initial Assessment of Principal Issues.





- Application expected from applicant
- Application received by the Planning Inspectorate