§ Mr. Martenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the M40 route is to be extended from Oxford to Birmingham.
§ Mr. SpeedA scheme for an extension of M40 from Oxford to Birmingham has today been included in the trunk road preparation pool. The proposed motorway would run in a corridor from the presently planned northern end of the M40 at Water stock near Oxford, pass to the east of Banbury and to the west of Leamingtonand Warwick and would finally link with the proposed M42 Birmingham-Nottingham motorway near Umbers lade. Proposals on the line that might be followed will now be developed for public comment and for objections to be considered. The route would relieve existing roads of heavy traffic moving between Oxford and the West Midlands and ease increasing pressure on M1.