South Lancashire Motorway (Hansard, 6 February 1963)

§ Mr. Marples

I rejected it because it was a completely impracticable proposal, which was published by theLiverpool Daily Post on the basis of an interview with the County Surveyor of Lancashire. No detailed survey of the line of the proposed road has yet been carried out: there has been no soil survey: no work has been done on the engineering design, including the design of the many bridges involved and no land has been acquired. I am not prepared to authorise a start to be made on a major and costly road project of this kind without adequate planning, proper professional engineering 69W preparation and proper contractual arrangements.

There are two further important reasons why I could not agree to this proposal. Parliament has laid down in the Highways Act, 1959, procedures which must be followed before I can build a new trunk road, including a motorway. These procedures are designed to protect the interests of individuals, local authorities and statutory undertakers, and it would not be right to ride roughshod over these interests.

Then there is the question of priorities for road schemes generally. Under the existing highway programme, Lancashire is already doing very well. Even if more funds were made available for highways it would be wrong to allow Lancashire—just because they say they could start quickly—to jump the queue with a project that is not of the same urgency as other motorway projects elsewhere which are already under preparation.

I have discussed the proposal with a deputation from the Lancashire County Council, including the County Surveyor, and they now all agree with my view that there is no practical way of completing the engineering preparation and the statutory procedures in less than three or four years.

I am sorry that so many people in Merseyside should have had their hopes raised falsely by these misleading stories.