Draft Stopping Up of Highways (Ayrshire) Order (Hansard, 17 December 1959)

§ Mr. Maclay

Yes. This Order was made by me on 11th December, 1959, in the amended form recommended by the Parliamentary Commissioners who held an inquiry into the Order last June and in terms of the Statutory Orders (Special Procedure) Act, 1945, I am today laying the Order before Parliament together with a formal statement as required by the Act. The following is a further statement outlining the consideration given to this matter since the Parliamentary inquiry:

1. The draft Stopping Up of Highways (Ayrshire) Order, 1959, provided for the closure of trunk road A.77 and two minor roads where they will be crossed by the extension of the main runway at Prestwick Airport. The draft Order required 248W the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation to provide a loop road round the west of the airport as a substitute for A.77, a link road between it and Monkton village to replace the two minor roads and a new length of road on the west side of the Glasgow-Ayr railway line to provide a satisfactory link between the existing and the proposed loop road. The draft Order also provided for the permanent closure of a group of roads to the east of A.77; these roads have already been incorporated in the airport and their permanent closure is necessary and will, for the most part, take the place of the temporary closures effected by virtue of Orders made during the war under Defence Regulation 16.

2. Objections to the draft Order were received and are detailed in the formal statement which I am making to Parliament in terms of the Statutory Orders (Special Procedure) Act, 1945. These objections, not being withdrawn, required the holding of an inquiry by the Commissioners appointed in accordance with the provisions of the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act, 1936, and this inquiry was held in Ayr from the 22nd to 29th June under the Chairmanship of the hon. and gallant Baronet, the Member for Berwick and East Lothian.

3. Having heard the evidence, the Commissioners made their recommendation in the following terms:

"The Commissioners recommend that the Order as submitted to them should not be made.

The Commissioners approve of the Stopping Up of the Highways Nos.4 to 7 inclusive of Part I of the Schedule. Subject to the provision of an alternative route from Monkton village to Monkton Station and Monktonmiln, the Commissioners also approve of the Stopping Up of the Roads 2 and 3 of Part I of the Schedule to allow the proposed extension of the runway. They are not satisfied on the evidence that this extension involves the immediate closure of A.77 where it crosses the runway. While anxious not to prolong the existing system of control by traffic lights the Commissioners consider that it has not been demonstrated by the Promoter that it is impracticable either from the point of view of time or cost to select a line and site on which a tunnel could be constructed.

249W

The Commissioners accordingly recommend that the Order be amended as follows: (1) That Clauses 2 and 3 be deleted. (2) That Paragraph 1 of Part I of the Schedule be deleted, and (3) That Part II of the Schedule be deleted. The Commissioners recommend that the Order should be made with the modifications shown on the amended Order subscribed by the Chairman, and they accordingly submit to the Secretary of State this Report with the said amended Order, the Plan referred to in the Schedule to the Order also subscribed by the Chairman, the Minutes of Commissioners and the evidence taken at the Inquiry."

4. Following the inquiry further discussions took place between Ayr County Council, the Scottish Home Department and the (then) Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation. There was complete agreement as to the need to develop the Airport as quickly as possible, and the Ministry's view that an immediate start should be made on the extension of the runways so that the large jet trans-Atlantic aircraft may use the airport by the summer of 1960 was accepted by the County Council. It was therefore agreed to defer discussion of ways and means of dealing with road traffic on the present A.77 road where it crosses the runway until such time as fuller information was available regarding the relief which may be afforded by the eastern by-pass referred to in paragraph 5 (3) below when it is completed to the Cumnock road.

5. In detail, the following action was agreed.

(1) The work of extending the runway should be put in hand. Work started on the 1st October, 1959.
(2) As agents of the Ministry, the County Council would construct the new road which would be necessary as a substitute for the two minor roads to be absorbed into the western end of the extended runway. This is the alternative route referred to in the second paragraph of the Commissioners' report.
(3) The construction of the Prestwick by-pass from Monkton to Whitletts Road, Ayr, should also be put in hand. Work started on the 4th November.
(4) In order that the by-pass should afford the maximum relief to the runway crossing, its extension across the River Ayr to the Cumnock road should be completed as soon as possible. Ayr County Council have now been invited to prepare the necessary scheme.
(5) Until the traffic position could be assessed following the extension of the runway and the completion of the trunk road by-pass, the runway crossing of A.77 should remain under the present control system. It should be noted, however, that if traffic conditions on the runway crossing deteriorate seriously meantime, the position may have to be reviewed.
(6) An assurance should be given that the erection of new terminal buildings would be proceeded with and that there will be full collaboration with the County Council on all matters relating to the future of the airport. The Minister has given the County Council a full assurance on these lines.

6. The making of the Stopping Up Order as amended in accordance with the report of the Commissioners, which is required in order to close permanently the two minor roads which cross the line of the runway extension, and to give effect to the permanent closure of the roads to the east of A.77 which have already been absorbed into the airport, gives effect to the action agreed with the County Council.