Bypasses (Hansard, 25 February 1987)

§ Lord Elliott of Morpeth
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Lord Brabazon of Tara)
My Lords, between 1st April 1979 and 1st February 1987 Her Majesty's Government completed 67 bypasses or relief road schemes on trunk roads in England, 25 in Scotland and 13 in Wales. Some of these have provided traffic relief for more than one community. Other completed schemes also have a bypassing effect.

§ Lord Elliott of Morpeth
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer, suggestive as it is of considerable progress. However, as there are still quite a number of areas in all parts of the country that have enormous congestion, can he say whether bypasses have priority in the national road plan and how many schemes are in the current programme?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. Bypasses are indeed one of the main priorities in the Government's trunk road construction programme, bringing as they do relief to residents from traffic noise and fumes and contributing to improved road safety. In England, for example, over 50 per cent. of planned trunk road schemes are bypasses. At the present time there are 19 trunk road bypasses and relief roads under construction in England, three in Scotland and three in Wales, and a further 133 schemes in England, 39 in Scotland and 26 in Wales are in the forward programme.

§ Lord Underhill
My Lords, although the information given by the Minister is encouraging, I wonder whether he recalls that we had a debate on a civic trust report dealing with the Armitage package three years ago, and at that time some 1,200 villages and towns had not been bypassed. It was said that hundreds would not have a bypass plan by 1991–92 and nor would one-third of the historic towns. Has the Minister figures to show whether there has been a great improvement?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, I regret that I do not recall the debate mentioned by the noble Lord as it was three years ago. However, when the current 198 programme is completed very few communities in the trunk road network will not have been relieved of through traffic. There are also local bypasses to be taken into account and we have a very good record in completing those. I am afraid I cannot give a total figure relating to the one which the noble Lord gave.

Lord Hunt
My Lords, will the noble Lord assure the House that when the question of bypasses arises in national parks or areas of outstanding natural beauty such as the New Forest, the Government will continue to be guided by the recommendations of his noble friend Lord Sandford in the Sandford Report of 1974?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, in mentioning bypasses in the New Forest, I presume the noble Lord is referring to the debate that will take place tomorrow. That of course does not concern a national road: it is a local road. But in general terms we shall continue to be guided by those recommendations.

§ Lord Taylor of Blackburn
My Lords, may I ask the Minister how long it takes for a bypass to get on to the list and from the list on to a programme?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, I cannot give the noble Lord specific details as I suspect that it depends on the planning process to a certain extent and on how much of an inquiry needs to take place. But in general terms I think the time is too long.

§ Lord Underhill
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that in the cases I referred to there was heavy lorry traffic? Some of the roads were trunk roads and some were not, but there was heavy lorry traffic. Does he think that the ministry could get some figures and possibly write to me?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, I can certainly try, and I shall do so.

§ Lord Brougham and Vaux
My Lords, can my noble friend expand a little bit more on the local bypass position?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, so far as local bypasses are concerned, we give every encouragement to local highway authorities to build new bypasses and relief roads. That is a principal feature of the new capital only transport supplementary grant system. For instance, for this coming year we have announced support for 257 bypasses or relief roads, of which 183 are in progress and 74 are new starts.

§ Lord Glenamara
My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord about the bypass at Haltwhistle in Northumberland, which is well known to the noble Lord, Lord Elliott of Morpeth, and myself? Is he aware that the scheme put forward by his department is quite unacceptable to the local people? Can he say anything about this scheme?

§ Lord Brabazon of Tara
My Lords, I have details on the scheme for the A69 Haltwhistle west of Haydon Bridge. We intend to go to public consultation on the scheme as soon as possible.