HC Deb 25 June 1979 vol 969 cc71-2W
Mr. Peter Mills

asked the Minister of Transport (1) how many houses and buildings will be demolished on the various proposed routes of the A30 between Sourton Cross and Lifton Down;

(2) how many acres, and of what agricultural grades, will be affected by the various proposed routes of the A30 between Sourton Cross and Lifton Down;

(3) what is the estimated cost of the various proposed routes of the A30 between Sourton Cross and Lifton Down;

(4) what would be the estimated reduction in the use of fuel between the various proposed routes of the A30 between Sourton Cross and Lifton Down;

(5) what would be the effect of the various proposed routes of the A30 between Sourton Cross and Lifton Down on the proposed new reservoir at Roadford.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

The following information is in respect of the proposed alternative routes put forward by the Department at the public consultation stage.

Five dwellings would be demolished by the brown route between Sourton Down and Alder and a further four on the green route between Lawdown and east of Port-gate. The other routes would not result in any demolition of dwellings. Overall a few agriculture buildings would be affected.

The blue route would take approximately 235 acres of grade 3 and grade 4 land. Depending on the combination of alternatives eventually chosen, the other routes would take between 210 and 240 acres of grade 3 land.

The blue route is estimated to cost £20 million. Of the other routes, the cheapest combination is estimated to cost £18 million and the most expensive is estimated to cost £20 million.

Details of savings in the use of fuel are not readily available, but marginally less fuel would be expected to be used on the blue route, which has fewer gradients.

None of the alternative routes directly affects the proposed Roadford reservoir site. Connections to the local road system giving access to the site could be provided on all alternative routes in the vicinity.