§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the annual extra cost per year in delaying the building of the Okehampton bypass.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe extra cost per year to users of the road is expected to be about £1.7 million per year at 1984 price levels.
§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the difference in cost between the southern and northern route of the Okehampton bypass.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe northern route put forward by petitioners and considered recently by the joint committee would cost about £5.25 million more than the Department's southern route at 1984 prices.
§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many acres of agricultural land would be used if the northern route was used for the Okehampton bypass as compared with the southern route.
§ Mrs. ChalkerAbout 18 acres more agricultural land would be required to construct the northern route as put forward by the petitioners.
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§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many homes and quarries would be affected if the northern route for the Okehampton bypass were used as compared with the southern route.
§ Mrs. ChalkerNo homes would be demolished but one quarry employing about 10 workers would be closed if the petitioners northern route were used, compared with one home, and two unoccupied cottages, to be demolished but no quarries closed on the Department's southern route.
§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to assist motorists and commercial transport-users while there is delay in building the Okehampton bypass.
§ Mrs. ChalkerA diversion to allow holiday traffic to avoid Okehampton at peak summer weekends has been in operation for several years, and we will be examining whether its use should be extended. Recent improvements to the A38 trunk road and further work both about to start and in preparation for the A30 and the A38 should assist east-west traffic movements through Devon.