§ Sir Roger MoateTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his letter of 14 March to the hon. Member for Faversham, when he confirmed the publication of the draft compulsory purchase order for the A249 Iwade to Queensborough improvement scheme; what is the hoped for start date for the construction of this project; and how this date will be affected if the procedures are foreshortened by the absence of objections. [21153]
§ Mr. WattsI have instructed the Highways Agency to give this scheme high priority.
The draft compulsory purchase order has been published today, 20 March. The future progress of the scheme depends upon the satisfactory completion of the remaining statutory procedures, including a public inquiry should one prove necessary. If a public inquiry is required the earliest possible start of works would be in the year 2000. If no objection were received and a public inquiry then became unnecessary, the timescale might reduce by several months.