26. Mr. Vaneasked the Minister of Transport what was the cost of the survey for an alternative road to A6 over Shap Fell; what is the highest point above sea level of the proposed alternative road; and how many farms will be affected through loss of land.
§ Mr. BarnesThe cost of the preliminary survey, including examination of alternative routes, was £12,000. The highest point above sea level of the proposed road is 1,035 feet. One hundred and ten farms will be affected.
Mr. VaneDoes the right hon. Gentleman really believe it is worth ruining that number of farms simply in order to lower the height, at the highest point of that road, 250 feet?
§ Mr. BarnesThe road will actually be lowered well over 300 feet. I regret the statement that this new road will ruin a number of farms: it will do nothing of the kind.
Mr. VaneDoes the Minister not realise that this road is going to run along the very narrow valley and will take a very large proportion of the only good land those farms have?
§ Mr. BarnesWe always take particularly good care to consult agricultural interests. I always consult my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture for the 762 purpose of seeing that there is the minimum of interference with agricultural land.
§ Sir W. WakefieldIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that in this part of the world there is very strong feeling about this project; and will he make quite sure that really good agricultural land is not used for roads when there is quite unfertile land which could be so used, even though at greater cost?
§ Mr. BarnesAs I said before, we continually keep that problem before us.
§ Colonel ClarkeDoes the Minister not realise that it is not only the land taken for the surface of the road, but the disorganisation of the outlets from farms at road crossings, which affects agriculture; and that fields are cut in two, and in many cases made thoroughly uneconomical.
§ Mr. BarnesI would emphasise that this point is probably the most dangerous crossing point on any trunk road. However, I will give an undertaking to look personally into the matters raised here today.
§ Mr. SutcliffeHas not a large sum of money recently been spent on the present road; and will not a lot of that be wasted if this project is proceeded with?