The Lincoln bypass (North Hykeham Relief Road) - Find a freedom of information request

The final part of the Lincoln bypass (North Hykeham Relief Road) is still outstanding, but may possibly commence in the 4th quarter of 2025. An Enquiry has been notified by Lincolnshire County Council to consider the Relief Road that is due to start on 1 July 25 at the Doubletree Hotel in Lincoln.

This request is for information from Lincolnshire County Council on:

1. Whether the North Hykeham Relief Road has been cancelled?

2. And if so, is the Enquiry still taking place?

3. And if the Enquiry is taking place at public expense, why?

4. If the Relief Road is cancelled or delayed significantly, what mitigation is being put in place to counter the volume, speed and standard of driving on the Harmston-Aubourn-Haddington road, that has been described by Lincolnshire Police as atrocious?

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1. No, the North Hykeham Relief Road has not been cancelled. The project remains a key strategic infrastructure priority for Lincolnshire County Council and is continuing to progress as planned.

2. Yes. The Public Inquiry is proceeding and is scheduled to begin on 1st July 2025, with a planned duration of two weeks.

3. Public Inquiries of this nature are a statutory requirement under the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and Side Roads Order (SRO) process. As such, certain elements of the Inquiry, such as the Planning Inspectorate’s costs and venue arrangements are met from public funds. However, it is important to note that objectors' legal fees or associated costs are not paid by the Council.

4. At this time, the North Hykeham Relief Road has not been cancelled or significantly delayed. The scheme remains on programme, with early works expected to commence towards the end of 2025 and main construction beginning in early 2026. Once delivered, the NHRR will provide a significant improvement to traffic conditions across the surrounding area, including mitigating the types of concerns raised in your question regarding driver behaviour and traffic on rural routes.