§ 38. Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what alterations in the original line of the Birmingham-Preston motorway he has proposed since the line was agreed with the Staffordshire County Council in July, 1957; and for what reasons.
§ Mr. NugentThere has been no change in the line of the motorway in Staffordshire from Dunston northwards, which was fixed by a scheme under the Special Roads Act on 30th June, 1958. It has been found necessary to re-investigate the line southwards from Dunston, and a number of possible variations to meet particular difficulties are being considered in consultation with the local authorities concerned. We hope later this year, in accordance with the provisions of the Special Roads Act, to publish a draft scheme showing and explaining the revised line.
§ Mr. SwinglerIs it a fact that the original line was agreed with the Staffordshire County Council on the basis of what was most efficient for modern practice? What particular conditions are being reconsidered now? Is it a fact that there is intervention from private property interests which is now liable to jeopardise the line of the road?
§ Mr. NugentReconsideration has taken place in the light of the objections which we received to the line originally published, the possible engineering difficulties of mining subsidence on part of the line that we had originally considered, and the possibility of making a better line for the junction with the other motorways proposed to join in that area. We believe that in the light of all these circumstances a re-investigation is justified. When we have completed that we shall publish a further line, and we shall then hear whether or not there are objections to it.