HL Deb 09 June 1964 vol 258 cc780-1

2.51 p.m.

LORD FISHER

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they propose to spend, and what traffic they expect, on the following roads in the Stanford battle area, Norfolk:—

  1. (a) "Route 5", from Lynford Cottages to Foulmere;
  2. (b) the proposed new route from Foulmere to Langmere;
and whether it would not be better to use the existing adequate alternative routes from East Wretham to Croxton and build a new road from Croxton to Two Mile Bottom.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT (LORD CHESHAM)

My Lords, the amounts estimated to be spent in improving "Route 5" from Lynford Cottages to Foulmere, and the route from Foulmere to Langmere, which is not a new route but an existing grassed public highway, are £59,600 and £40,575, respectively. The volume of traffic expected to use these two routes is estimated to be about 600 vehicles per day.

On the second part of the Question, the proposal to make the improvement from Foulmere to Langmere forms the subject of a draft Amendment Order to the Stopping Up of Highways (County of Norfolk) (No. 1) Order, 1962, to which objections have been lodged and maintained. The matter has, therefore, been referred by my right honourable friend the Minister of Transport to the War Works Commission for a report, which will doubtless cover consideration of any alternative proposal, such as the noble Lord suggests from Croxton to Two Mile Bottom, which may be put to them. It would assist their deliberations to have details submitted in advance.

LORD FISHER

My Lords, I thank my noble friend very much for that Answer. May I ask him whether, for 600 vehices a day, presumably between the A.11 and A.124, which are the two roads concerned, the more effective step would not be the construction of the eastern half of the Thetford by-pass, which has been surveyed and which would presumably cost in the region of the amount to be spent on these two roads?

LORD CHESHAM

My Lords, with the greatest respect to my noble friend, I think that that raises a fresh issue, which I cannot see arising directly from the Question on the Order Paper.