§ 34. Mr. Snowasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the concern felt by the Rugeley Urban District Council regarding his decision to use the A.51 as the principal egress from Rugeley; and whether he will reconsider this decision in view of the Council's opinion that the Staffordshire County Roads and Bridges Committee's recommendation in 1958 is now erroneous, especially in view of the congestion caused on the road at the point of the railway viaduct in Rugeley.
§ Mr. HayRugeley Urban District Council, with the hon. Member's support, has pressed us both to bring forward the improvement of A.51 in our programme and to include the widening of the alternative route, A.513, with a new link road to A.51. We hope to be able to bring forward the work on A.51 but for reasons which have been fully explained to the Council we cannot include the alternative road in our present programme.
§ Mr. SnowIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this matter has a long history, and that the financial repercussions of the improvement of the A.51 did not come to the attention of the local authority until rather late in the day, when it became apparent that the proposal to use the A.51 as a main egress was going to be very serious indeed financially? Will the hon. Gentleman consider either sending one of these traffic engineers, or worrying these people to examine the position from an economic point of view in the light of the new circumstances?
§ Mr. HayI will consider that. We are, and have been, in very close touch with the U.D.C. about this matter over a long time, but I will see whether we can do anything further to clear up this point.