§ Mr. Speirasked the Minister of Transport whether he will now make an announcement of his plans to carry out further studies of the problems of rural transport.
§ Mr. MarplesI propose to carry out detailed surveys, over a period of a complete week, of actual travelling, travel needs, and availability of transport, in six selected rural areas. Each will be of about 20 square miles, with a population roughly between 500 and 1,500. They will be in the counties of Devon, Lincoln, Montgomery, Westmorland, Kirkcudbright and Banff. The detailed location of the areas is set out below.
I have had to keep the areas relatively small, to make it possible to have really comprehensive surveys, which we need 43W to see exactly what the position is. But each area presents different geographical and transport factors, and should provide a good, although not necessarily the most acute, example of the rural transport problem in its part of the country.
The actual survey work will start as soon as possible, depending on the availability of the trained people needed for it.
My Department will be discussing with the local authority Associations and other interests concerned various practical aspects of the studies. I am sure I can rely on the support of all of them in this important task.
The areas selected are:
Devon—West of Crediton
Area bounded by Exeter-Okehampton railway, Exeter-Barnstaple railway, B.3220, minor road (Lapford to North Tawton) to point 1 mile east of North Tawton, minor road past Stone and Sanford to railway.
Lincoln—North of Horncastle
Area bounded by Bluestone Heath Road, Parish boundary from about 1 mile south-east of Scamblesby to junction of Roman Road with A.153, 44W Roman Road, High Street to point ¼ mile short of disused railway line, minor road passing just north of Donington-on-Bain to Bluestone Heath Road.
Westmorland—North of Kirkby Stephen
Area bounded by Hilton Beck to just beyond Hilton, the edge of the fells to Hillbeck Wood, parish boundary west of Brough, Angill Beck to railway line, minor road through Little Musgrave, Helm Beck.
Banff—Tomintoul
Area bounded by river Avon, river Livet to junction with Kymah Burn, edge of the Ladder Hills to A.939 and minor roads passing by the southern edge of Tomintoul to river Avon.
Kirkcudbright—West of Dumfries
Area bounded by A.712, Urr Water, electricity transmission line passing 1 mile east of Haugh of Urr, Roohmore Drive, minor road from Milton to Crocketford.
Montgomery—West of Welshpool
Area bounded by A.458, A.495, B.4382, B.4395.