§ Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—[Mr. Woolas.]
10.21 pm§ Sandra Gidley (Romsey)I welcome the chance to have this Adjournment debate, which I requested because too many people are dying as a result of accidents on the A36 near Wellow. There is a touch of poignancy to the debate. The Minister is probably aware that a dreadful accident occurred on that stretch of road this very day. The multiple car incident appears to have caused at least one death, possibly two, and a number of serious injuries. I am sure that he will join me in expressing our condolences to the victims and their friends and families.
The picture is bleak. The latest figures that I have show that, from June 1997 to May 2002, 71 personal injury accidents occurred along the length of the A36 from New road to Fighting Cocks farm. At the junction with Whinwhistle road alone there were 21 personal injury accidents in that five-year period. The EuroRAP survey confirmed that that stretch of road has a higher than average accident rate. That is damning enough, but by examining recent history it is clear that the road has a long and chequered past with a long accident record, yet sadly little appears to have been done about it. It might help the Minister if I outline some of that history.
Most of my knowledge of the route is relatively recent, but a search of the web revealed a meeting of the road and development sub-committee of Hampshire county council on 12 December 1988. The introduction of the report of that meeting referred to
increasing anxiety being generated regarding road safety on Trunk Road A36 through West Wellow and Plaitford. Recent tragic fatalities of a schoolgirl and County Council road worker have intensified local concern.The same report stated that there had been 31 injury accidents in the preceding three years, of which four were fatal, nine involved serious injuries and 18 slight injuries. If we do a simple comparison with the latest five-year figures, it would appear that there has been an increase in the accident rate. The 1988 report provided further detail and suggested accident remedial works at two junctions—the junction with Whinwhistle road, where eight accidents had been identified, and the junction with Maury's lane. I shall return to the problems at Whinwhistle road. Although I do not have complete details, I am led to believe that today's fatal accident was near the Whinwhistle road junction.The report also highlighted problems with driver behaviour, HGVs, overtaking accidents, and the speed limit. Thankfully, some progress has been made to reduce the speed limit, but sadly not enough. In addition, the report mentioned the possibility of a Wellow bypass. There was a recommendation to
immediately put in hand the procedures leading to the earliest implementation of a bypass for West Wellow".I do not want my case today to be sidetracked by the reemergence of that issue, but I will put the question of a bypass into context later.I became more closely involved in the thorny issue of the A36 when a group of residents contacted me to discuss problems with the road surface, which were 129 having an adverse affect on their quality of life and the structure of their homes, as well as problems with crossing the road and the possibility of providing a safe crossing. The road was resurfaced last year and there has been some improvement in the surface, but all the other issues remain. The more familiar I became with the stretch of road, the more I realised that something had to be done. It might help the Minister if I set the scene.
The A36 is a wide single-carriageway trunk road. The village of Wellow is clustered along one side of the road; on the other side is scattered development backing on to the New Forest. A certain amount of development has taken place over the years, which has contributed to increased usage of the junctions placed at intervals along the A36. That, coupled with the year-on-year increase in car usage, makes it easy to see why the accident rate has increased over the years. A roundabout has been installed at one of the junctions, the speed limit has recently been reduced from 50 mph to 40 mph, and signage has been improved, but little else has been done. The problems with the road are exacerbated by its slightly undulating nature. Toward the Plaitford end of the village, large vehicles head into Wellow over the brow of the hill and have to slam on the brakes when they suddenly spot cars emerging from a pub car park or other side road. Put simply, it is a recipe for disaster.
Let me concentrate for a moment on the problems in the vicinity of Whinwhistle road. That the problems were identified as long ago as 1988 is bad enough, but I recently learned the true extent of the procrastination on the issue. In November 1994, the Whinwhistle road feasibility study was carried out by Hampshire county council; that was rapidly followed by the 1994 Whinwhistle road supplementary report by Hampshire county council; and the May 1995 Whinwhistle road second supplementary report by Hampshire county council. All went quiet for a while, until in July 2001 we had the Whinwhistle road junction improvement study carried out by Atkins on behalf of the Highways Agency. The icing on the cake is a second study by Atkins: the A36 Plaitford to West Wellow speed and safety study, January 2003.
After nine years, five reports, and thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money—how many, I shudder to guess—there has been no action. That is not good enough, and the reason I asked for this debate is to urge the Minister to use whatever means he has at his disposal to ensure that something happens, and that it happens sooner rather than later.
There is a small bureaucratic matter that needs to be dealt with first. When I first started to pursue the matter in October 2001, the county surveyor at Hampshire county council told me that he was in negotiation with the Highways Agency about the de-trunking of the road. He hoped that that would happen some time in 2002. I was led to believe that that would be a good thing, because it would be possible to identify a package of de-trunking improvements that could be achieved prior to the road being handed over to the county council.
By December, the position had changed. In a letter dated December 2001, the county surveyor stated:
there is now a little delay in the de-trunking process, largely on account of disagreements with authorities to the west, particularly I think Bath and North East Somerset.130 As far as we are concerned we have resolved most of the maintenance issues but there are still outstanding matters concerning the safety schemes and speed, particularly in the vicinity of Whinwhistle junction."For the good news, he stated that
There is a steering group",and that it had requested further reports, mainly on issues connected with Somerset, but impinging on some more strategic points, such as the potential effect of the approval of the Dibden bay planning application. He added:The latest advice from the Highways Agency is that they would not expect de-trunking to take place before April 2003.A letter from the Highways Agency confirmed that. It also informed me that Bath and North East Somerset council had requested a study commissioned by the Government office for the south-west before it would proceed with the de-trunking. The agency said that there was a possibility that the route could be divided into sections, and that that would be discussed at a later date. To the best of my knowledge, that never happened.I come to the part that I find difficult to comprehend. The future of this road in Hampshire and the safety of my constituents is governed by the Government office for the south-west, even though we are in the south-east. I would be grateful if the Minister explained why that is so. Given that all parties appeared keen to go ahead and de-trunk the A36 in my part of Hampshire, why were others allowed to throw a spanner in the works and delay the whole process?
In January 2002, I received a fax from an irate constituent, who pointed out that there had recently been three multiple car crashes in three weeks, one near School lane, one outside the Red Rover and one opposite Landford new road. In February 2002, I decided to ask a parliamentary question, to ascertain whether I could elicit more information. There was little more information available, but the answer confirmed that de-trunking negotiations were likely to be on hold until early 2003.
In early 2002, I held a site meeting with some local residents, representatives of the Highways Agency and officers of the county council. I suggested that we walk along a stretch of the A36. The suggestion was greeted with horror. The response was, "No, you can't possibly do that." I should point out that there was a footpath and that we were not walking along the road itself. I was told that the road was far too dangerous to walk alongside it. There was some puzzlement when the residents burst out laughing at that stage. That was not on my behalf but because of the attitude of the officers. The residents felt that the reaction of the representatives of the Highways Agency and of the county council proved their point that the road was dangerous.
After some negotiation and promises not to sue, conspicuity security jackets were produced and we walked along a stretch of the road. Even though traffic always slows when a number of strange looking people are seen wearing fluorescent yellow jackets, the problem of speeding heavy goods vehicles was all too evident.
The residents we re requesting a safe crossing point so that they could enjoy the pleasures of the New Forest. The little walk that we had could not have highlighted more the need for such a facility. However, a crossing in isolation in the wrong spot could be dangerous. 131 Although I support the provision of a crossing, it must be part of a package of safety and traffic calming measures.
A little later the road was closed for resurfacing. That aspect of the road was much improved, but I would like to refer to a fax that I received from the A36 Residents Association, which clearly highlights its frustration. The fax reads:
The traffic goes even faster now and no new safety measures have been installed, on this road in a village in the New Forest which is known as death alley. After all the money spent on the rebuild we do not have speed camera warning signs, speed cameras or safety barriers. There are now warning signs by the Red Rover of HGVs bombing along over a blind brow of a hill, where car drivers are exiting the car park after legally consuming some alcohol.There are now warnings or protection for people at the Shoe Inn—yes they can still come out of the pub door 18 inches from the road and get killed as happened last year. There is not one safe crossing for children going to school."There are many more points, but the fax goes on to claim that the improved road means that the traffic is travelling faster and the danger of a major incident is now greater. I am sure that the writer of that letter is not happy to have been proved correct.
I was also deeply frustrated, as there seemed little that I could do until the de-trunking issue was sorted out and various studies were completed. In November, I received a letter to say that the report was being finalised but that it highlighted a speed problem at both ends of West Wellow. I am not quite sure how much the report cost, but in the words of John Cleese it does seem to be "stating the bleeding obvious."
I was also assured that Atkins was committed to improving road safety and was continuing to seek longterm solutions. I certainly hope that there is not longterm implementation.
Sadly, despite the site meeting and despite numerous letters expressing interest, I have still not seen a copy of the report, despite a promise to let me do so. I understand that possibly it is still in draft form.
So where do we go from here, and why have I involved the Minister? I am aware that there are some schemes in preparation, such as the extension of the 40 mph speed limit and a puffin crossing at Canada roundabout. Hampshire county council is keen to install speed cameras at Whinwhistle road junction. This is a welcome, if long overdue, move, and I hope that the Minister can assure me that the scheme can proceed without further delay.
I am also aware that a scheme is being developed to provide a three-arm roundabout at Whinwhistle road. The observed accident rate at this junction is 7.4 recorded personal injury accidents a year, compared with the national average of 0.7. This scheme is due to take place in 2005–06, subject to the purchase of a suitable piece of land. I urge the Minister to use every means at his disposal to ensure that this happens sooner rather than later. Put simply, another two years is far too long.
I ask the Minister to take a look at the area. Plans for a bypass were dropped in the mid-1990s, although for a number of years the idea had a great deal of support. But 132 no one could agree on the most suitable route and the idea seemed to be quietly shelved. Unfortunately, the shelving of the scheme did not coincide with a review of the safety of the road. I am not calling for a resurrection of the bypass plan, but if the accident record on such a busy road continues to rise, we will have to think again.
In the short term, various steps need to be taken. As a matter of urgency, a decision must be made on the de-trunking. If we are still at the mercy of the Government office for the south-west, I urge the Minister to go ahead with a decision for that stretch of road now. There is no reason why Hampshire should be subject to the whims of another county and another Government region. If the decision is definitely to go ahead, negotiations must be a priority, and a package of safety measures should form part of a de-trunking agreement. Residents of Wellow and users of the A36 do not need yet another survey. They do not need further procrastination. They need the road to be made safer, and they need that to be done as soon as is humanly—nay, superhumanly—possible, if we are to avoid further fatalities such as we have suffered this very day.
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Alan Haselhurst)Order. Before I call the Minister, may I say to the hon. Lady that the quotation that she used was inappropriate and should not have been used? I hope she will bear that in mind for a future occasion.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. David Jamieson)I congratulate the hon. Member for Romsey (Sandra Gidley) on securing the debate. I know that she has taken a special interest in road safety on the Wellow section of the A36 and has corresponded regularly with the Department and discussed at first hand a number of safety issues with the Highways Agency and Hampshire county council officials. I was deeply saddened to learn of the deaths and serious injuries on the A36 this afternoon.
Our thoughts tonight must be with the families who have lost their loved ones, and with those who are injured. My latest information is that two have been killed, two others have life-threatening injuries and there are others with other injuries. That makes the debate even more poignant, as the hon. Lady said, but I am truly sorry that we must conduct it against the backdrop of such an appalling tragedy as happened today.
Although this country has a good road safety record compared with that of other countries, today's terrible tragedy shows that we cannot afford to be complacent. Such accidents make the Government all the more determined to improve our record. In the 10-year transport plan, we made a commitment to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 40 per cent. by 2010 compared with the average for 1994 to 1998, and there is also a 50 per cent. target for cutting child deaths and serious injuries. That is why we are putting the resources in place to improve safety. According to the latest information, we are well on the way to meeting those targets, but I am the first to accept that we have more to do and that there are still many roads on which the death rate is too high.
I should explain the current status of the A36, as it sets the background for how the road is currently operated by the Highways Agency. In December 2000 the 133 decision was taken to confirm the A36 Bath to Southampton trunk road as non-core. The Highways Agency is responsible for operating the road, maintaining it in good condition and carrying out any safety improvements to the route. Promotion of other improvements for reasons of environment, accessibility, economy and integration is the responsibility of local transport authorities. In the Wellow and Plaitford locality, Hampshire and Wiltshire county councils are the responsible authorities. Our aim is to transfer the responsibility for the road to the local transport authorities. If I have time, I shall say a little more about that later.
I well understand the hon. Lady's concerns about safety on the A36 in her constituency. In the five-year period from June 1997 to May 2002 there have been 71 personal injury accidents. Three were fatal—that does not include today's appalling tragedy—nine were serious and 59 were slight. The accidents took place along the 4 km stretch of the A36 between New road in Plaitford and Fighting Cocks farm, to the south-west of West Wellow.
Those figures are approximately 20 per cent. higher than the national average for roads of this type. I hope that what I say today will demonstrate that we have not been idle in assessing the problem and working up and implementing appropriate solutions.
As the hon. Lady pointed out, there were plans for a bypass of West Wellow, but the proposal was withdrawn from the trunk road programme in 1994. Following that decision, a number of studies were commissioned along the route. They include a number of studies carried out by Hampshire county council, when it managed the road on behalf of the Highways Agency. The council looked at the 5.6 km length of the A36 between the Ower roundabout at the M27 and the Wiltshire-Hampshire border and, in particular, safety problems at the junction of the A36 and Whinwhistle road.
In 1999, WS Atkins became the managing agent for the Highways Agency for the A36. WS Atkins has carried out studies in the locality, including the Whinwhistle road junction improvement study in July 2001. A range of improvement options were identified and appraised in that study and a roundabout was considered the best long-term solution for improving the junction. More recently, the A36 Plaitford to West Wellow speed and safety study was initiated, and it is now substantially complete, although comments from Hampshire county council are still awaited. The study recommendations include reduction of the speed limit from Wellow to New road in Plaitford and provision of a crossing at the Canada Common roundabout.
Those studies have helped to inform the decisions on what works are required to tackle the problems identified. In the period between 2001 and 2003, the following works have been carried out in the Wellow area. In February 2002, the existing 40 mph speed limit area was extended by slightly less than 1.5 km to take in the junctions of School road and Whinwhistle road. Additional appropriate signing was erected and red surfacing was laid on the carriageway to emphasise the difficult nature of that section of the road. That work was carried out in recognition of the undulating nature of this section of the route and the resulting poor visibility, which, in combination with a number of 134 private accesses and two junctions, contributed to the accident record. The majority of collisions at the Whinwhistle road junction were nose-to-tail shunt collisions, which suggests that speed on the A36 was a contributory factor. We have also moved the advance direction signs on the approaches to Whinwhistle road to give better warning of the junction ahead and a new direction sign has been erected opposite the junction.
The Wellow village name signs have been re-erected on the approaches to the village. The signs reinforce the village ambiance to drivers approaching Wellow. A major maintenance scheme was undertaken in April 2002 to improve the road surface between Plaitford and the Canada Common roundabout. I am sure that the hon. Lady will remember those works, as the A36 was closed for about four weeks to allow them to be carried out. A new footway was also provided as part of the scheme between the Shoe inn and Purley way in Plaitford. The new footpath will improve safety for pedestrians in the area, especially for those who are leaving the pub in the evening, although I am sure that her constituents are totally sober when they do so.
For 2003–04, we are planning to implement two schemes. The first will provide a puffin crossing at the eastern arm of the Canada Common roundabout to improve accessibility in that area of the village. The second will reduce the speed limit of 50 mph to 40 mph from Wellow through Plaitford to New road. The successful implementation of those schemes this year is subject to agreement with the police and local authorities, but I hope that there will be no unexpected delays. We shall also carry out a review of crossing points throughout Plaitford and West Wellow to identify locations where dropped kerbs and refuges can be provided to encourage safe movement through the villages. We also consider that those measures will help to change the character of the road to emphasise that people are crossing the road at those points and that drivers should therefore reduce their speeds.
The Highways Agency is part of the Hampshire safety camera partnership and is working with its partners to provide two cameras at Whinwhistle road junction. We consider that cameras in that location will reduce speeds and therefore the numbers of nose-to-tail shunt collisions at the junction, which we believe are the main indicator of why the collisions are occurring. They mainly involve vehicles trying to turn right into Whinwhistle road and other vehicles approaching from behind or moving towards them too quickly.
Other works planned for 2003 in the Wellow area include improvements to the bus stop at Whinwhistle road to provide raised kerbs, a new shelter and an extended footway. We will also add further 40 mph signs and surface treatment on the carriageway to further encourage drivers to reduce their speed.
I have already referred to the Whinwhistle road junction improvement study of July 2001, which recommended a roundabout at Whinwhistle road. That will reduce traffic speeds and right-turn accidents and act as a gateway to the village from the south-east, thereby improving safety and accessibility in the area. We plan to carry out the scheme in the year 2005–06, but that is subject to the successful purchase of the land required and the availability of funding. Let me assure the hon. Lady that I am aware that the location is in a sensitive landscape area adjoining the New Forest, and 135 that will be a major consideration in the design of the scheme. Today, however, in her mind and in the minds of her constituents, the main issue at that junction must be that of safety.
As was mentioned earlier, in the longer term responsibility for the A36 will be transferred to the local transport authorities when the road is de-trunked. Therefore, safety on the A36 in the Plaitford and Wellow area will become matters for Hampshire and Wiltshire county councils. The decision to de-trunk the A36 was reaffirmed by the Secretary of State in December 2000. However, as the hon Lady pointed out, the south-west regional assembly—the regional planning body for the south-west—continued to have outstanding concerns about aspects of de-trunking the road further north of this section of the A36. I undertake to look at those issues to determine whether the delays can be reduced. I take the hon. Lady's point when she asks why one region should be affected by the deliberations of another, although if the whole road is to be de-trunked I am sure that she appreciates that it has to be done as one. We shall consider whether any of the problems can be overcome to get the de-trunking moving.
Following preliminary discussions with representatives from local transport authorities along the corridor, the Highways Agency and English Heritage, the Government office for the south-west 136 commissioned a study entitled "The Bristol/Bath to South Coast Study" to supplement existing information derived from an earlier study. The study commenced in July 2002 and is likely to report in July 2003. Its overall aim is not to consider further whether the route should be de-trunked, but to recommend an appropriate strategy to manage the north-west to south-east axis transport corridor between Bristol and Bath and the south coast. In particular, it also aims to develop an integrated transport strategy to address the issues relating to through traffic in the corridor of the historic city of Bath. The findings of the study are to be reported to the south-west regional assembly to allow it to consider what changes it might wish to recommend to the south-west regional transport strategy.
I am grateful for the opportunity to explain our plans and to listen and respond to some of the concerns expressed by the hon. Lady about improving safety along the A36 in Wellow, both in the short and longer term. I hope that I have at least been able to demonstrate our commitment to safety on the road in general and in the Wellow area in particular. The terrible tragedy on this stretch of road this afternoon, in which people were killed and seriously injured, with all the misery that that causes, spurs us on in Government to redouble our efforts in progressing the improvements and thereby improving road safety in the area.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Adjourned accordingly at twelve minutes to Eleven o'clock.