HC Deb 31 October 2001 vol 373 cc677-8W
Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of GCHQ's New Accommodation Project on traffic in Cheltenham; and if he will make a statement. [10984]

Mr. Jamieson

Cheltenham borough council granted planning permission to GCHQ and Group 4/Tarmac on 10 August 1999 for the construction of new buildings and associated engineering operations to provide for the consolidation of GCHQ operations. The application was accompanied by a Traffic Assessment. This, together with the proposal that the development should be related to a Green Travel Plan, was taken into account by the then Secretary of State when the application came before him in August 1998 as a departure from the development plan. The Secretary of State was content to leave jurisdiction for the application with Cheltenham borough council.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on his policy towards rerouting traffic away from the A40 through Cheltenham; and if he will make statement. [10983]

Mr. Jamieson

In the Roads Review published in 1998 the Government announced their intention to detrunk the A40 through Cheltenham and Gloucester. When the A40 is detrunked it will be for Gloucestershire county council as the local transport authority to decide how it wishes to manage the traffic on the A40 through Cheltenham.