HC Deb 20 July 1988 vol 137 cc601-3W
Mr. Higgins

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Worthing of 24 June,Official Report, column 771, what steps he has taken to ascertain the views of those who would be affected by the road flyover at the Offington roundabout proposed by the consultants appointed to consider the future route of the A27, as to whether the public can express a considered view of the various alternatives until a scale model of the proposed flyover is made available; and if he will now provide an artist's impression of what the roundabout depicted on the front of the summary of the consultants' proposals would look like if their recommendations were accepted, together with a detailed elevation and other diagrams showing the kind of structure which his Department would normally build in a similar situation; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Bottomley

[holding answer 4 July 1988]: The Department sent copies of the consultant's brochure to residents whose property could be required if the consultants' recommended route were built. The consultants sent about 80,000 letters to homes in the study area.

The information on display at the public exhibitions and in the consultants' report and brochure should be sufficient to enable members of the public to form a view on the recommendations, and to comment during the current consultation, which has been extended to 15 October, before we take a decision on whether to accept the consultants' findings.

The appearance of the flyover would depend on factors such as the precise alignment of the road and roundabout, the number and position of the supporting piers, any noise barriers, the construction materials, and so on, details of which are not known at this early stage. Any pictorial illustration produced at this stage could be misleading.

With this qualification, we are arranging for the preparation of an artist's impression of what a flyover at Offington roundabout might look like. Arrangements for its display locally will be announced as soon as possible.

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