§ Mr. Arthur Jonesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is aware that planning applications submitted to Brackley Rural District Council are being held up or refused on the instructions of his Department because they are affected by the possible route of the proposed M40 Oxford-Birmingham motorway; and whether he will take steps to make an early announcement of the findings of the feasibility study concerned with this project.
§ Mr. SpeedDecisions on certain planning applications in the Brackley area cannot be determined until draft orders under the Highways Acts are published on the line of the new Oxford-Birmingham section of the M40 motorway in this locality. As I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten) on 12th July, approval has been given for the extension of M40 to be included in the trunk road preparation pool. The proposals will now be developed as quickly as possible and we expect to publish draft orders next year. —[Vol. 840, c.363.]