§ 4. Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)What representations he has received regarding a bypass for Wing in Buckinghamshire. [68266]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Ms Glenda Jackson)The A418 is a local authority road and any proposals for a bypass for Wing are a matter for Buckinghamshire county council. The council's transport policy and programme bid for 1999–2000 did not include a proposal for a bypass at Wing.
In the past 18 months, the Government office for the south east has received 86 representations in favour of the Wing bypass–85 letters from the public, and one from the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow).
§ Mr. BercowI am grateful to the Minister, who I hope will be aware that, only last month, I presented a petition on behalf of 1,800 constituents calling for a bypass for Wing on the outer northern route. Given the four fatal and two serious accidents within 2 km either side of the A418 at Wing in the past two years, the prospective rise in pupil numbers at the Cottesloe school from 600 to 1,100, and the fact that residents of 14 old people's cottages in the village cannot cross the road without fear of death from heavy goods vehicles, does the Minister agree that the case for a bypass should be developed, a protected route agreed and, as soon as possible, a construction date announced for a suitable bypass?
§ Ms JacksonI understand that Buckinghamshire county council is currently preparing a private finance initiative bid for another road scheme—the Stoke Hammond bypass. That is its first priority. The reasons for the previous Administration withdrawing the programme in 1995 and the environmental reasons for abandoning the original concept remain—namely, a presumption against building new roads across open countryside. The Government's new integrated transport policy looks to road building as a last resort to be used when all other options have been exhausted.