§ 43. Mr. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland when work is expected to start on the Kilmarnock-Ayr by-pass road; and what representations he has received from local authorities in Ayrshire about this by-pass.
§ Mr. N. MacphersonMy right hon. Friend is considering certain objections to the Trunk Road Orders defining the 1007 line of the Ayr by-pass. When they have been determined Ayr County Council will be asked to prepare plans for the northern part, which by-passes Prestwick, and as soon as they are ready the work will be put out to tender. He will see that there is no avoidable delay in any of these preparations, but he cannot yet forecast on what date constructional work will start.
Ayr Town Council has urged the construction of the whole by-pass to a point south of Ayr as a single scheme, but my right hon. Friend regrets that at present only the most urgently needed section of such a large scheme can be fitted into the road programme.
§ Mr. RossIs the hon. Member aware that many of us feel that the objections of the Ayr Town Council are valid, and that the failure to complete this part of the work will lead to traffic chaos in the centre of this already badly hit town?
§ Mr. MacphersonI do not accept what the hon. Member has said about traffic chaos, but he will no doubt bear in mind that the whole scheme will be over eight miles in length, and that the cost will be nearly £1 million. He will realise that it would be very difficult to fit that into the present four-year programme.
§ Sir T. MooreDoes my hon. Friend realise that the bottleneck through Ayr is quite as severe as that through Prestwick, and that it would be far more advisable —if it could be managed in this financial year—to complete the whole operation in one phase?
§ Mr. MacphersonYes, but we are faced with the need to pursue the current four-year programme. I am afraid that I can hold out no hope that it will be possible to include the southern part in that programme.