§ Mr. Needhamasked the Secretary of State for Transport, following the publication of the report of the joint Department of Transport-Greater London Council working party on Archway, what action he proposes to alleviate the problems of Archway Road.
§ Mr. David HowellThe unresolved complex problems of the Archway Road have caused years of stress and blight in the area. I have an open mind about the right solution, but believe we must take steps now to clear up this damaging uncertainty once and for all. The Secretary of State for the Environment and I consider that the right way to do this is a completely new inquiry with two sets of orders before it. One set would revoke the previously made orders. The other would put forward a modified402W version of the scheme before the previous inquiries, omitting the circular slip road at Shepherds Hill and reducing the width of the central reservation between the two carriageways. We shall thus be able to consider all the arguments for and against:
- (a) revoking the orders made and doing nothing more;
- (b) revoking the made orders and making new orders for the modified scheme;
- (c) any other course of action that might he put forward by others at the inquiry.
I have sought the co-operation of the GLC and Haringey borough council in tackling the problems in this way.