A1 (Hansard, 24 July 1989)

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many man hours have been spent by his officials dealing with proposals to improve the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth with orders 198; and what have been the costs involved.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
The information requested is not readily available.

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of his officials have been handling the proposed improvements under orders 198 for the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth; and where they are located.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
The Department's work on this scheme has been handled primarily in the Leeds regional office where 18 staff have been involved at some stage.

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the delay in reaching decisions about improvements to the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth as they relate to orders 198.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
The joint decision by the Secretaries of State for Transport and for the Environment took longer than usual to make because the independent inspector recommended a substantial change to the published proposals. This was for the addition of discontinuous hard shoulders not in compliance with normal departmental standards for all-purpose trunk roads.
The outcome is that the scheme is to be revised to incorporate not only hard shoulders but other design changes, with the intention of bringing this stretch of road up to near-motorway standard.

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the safety of motorists using the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
We are conscious of the need to make conditions as safe as possible for motorists. On this length of trunk road, special attention has been paid to eliminating potentially hazardous turning movements. Over the past two years 13 gaps in the central reserve have been closed and three overbridges provided.
Central reserve safety fencing has also been erected recently over most of this stretch. The final section will be installed later this year as part of the Dishforth interchange scheme.
461W

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out evidence of the volume of traffic using the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
The recorded annual average daily flow of traffic using the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth is as follows:

Year Traffic Flow (vehicles per day)

1981 28,500

1982 30,400

1983 28,600

1984 33,600

1985 33,970

1986 34,100

1987 37,800

1988 43,100

The information on earlier years is not readily available.
The traffic flows substantiate the Department's proposals for widening to a dual three-lane carriageway.

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects that the improvements to the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth will now be completed.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
Subject to the satisfactory completion of the outstanding statutory and other processes, we hope that these improvements can be completed in the mid-1990s. The works will need to be staged over a four-year period to limit the traffic disruption over this 16-mile stretch of road.

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the inspector's report on the public inquiries held between 17 November and 11 December 1987 into orders 198 for the improvement of the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth was received in his office.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
The inspector's report was received in March 1988.

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether tendered prices were received by contractors for previously proposed works of improvement to the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth under orders 198; and what was the cost of providing tender documents.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
This scheme has not been developed to a point where tenders could be invited. This is because the compulsory purchase order had still to be published before acquisition of the necessary land. No tender costs have, therefore, been incurred.

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the dates orders 198 proposing improvements to the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth were published, the number of hours the public inquiries held between 17 November and 11 December 1987 were in session and the costs.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
Draft orders were published for this scheme in May and July 1987. The public inquiry sat for approximately 98 hours. Details necessary to give the cost of the inquiry is not available.
462W

§ Mr. Robert Banks
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the number and description of reported accidents on the length of the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth in each of the last 10 years.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley
The reported accidents along this length of the A1 since 1981 are:

Year Fatal Serious Slight

1981 5 23 18

1982 2 22 35

1983 0 21 17

1984 2 17 26

1985 0 24 34

1986 6 20 28

1987 3 23 21

1988 3 13 35

Information before that date is not readily available.

Year	Traffic Flow (vehicles per day)
1981	28,500
1982	30,400
1983	28,600
1984	33,600
1985	33,970
1986	34,100
1987	37,800
1988	43,100

Year	Fatal	Serious	Slight
1981	5	23	18
1982	2	22	35
1983	0	21	17
1984	2	17	26
1985	0	24	34
1986	6	20	28
1987	3	23	21
1988	3	13	35